Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.
However, the plot and OCs are mine.
Chapter 12
How much I never thought I'd get here.
Thank you to those who reviewed and to all of you who read.
Now go forth and enjoy Jazz being an idiot. I know I did.
Chater 12
The hard metal cards banged against each other as Jazz's nimble fingers shuffled and stacked them over and over in the quiet rec room while he sat across a small round table from Drift. The large, powerful white and red mech watched Jazz through the familiar clear visor his light blue optics glowing behind. Leaning back in his chair the mech crossed his arms over his broad chestplates his dangerous blades tucked away in his berthroom. He had no use for them off shift. Besides there was a pretty good chance he just might get drunk enough tonight to barter them away. That depended on how well Jazz's first round went though.
The silver mech had been trying to get his beloved visor back since before the youngling came to be on this ship and he still hadn't managed to win it back from the warrior. Drift smirked slightly as he watched Jazz deal out two cards each to them before laying one down between them.
The game had begun.
Reaching forward Drift lifted the edges of his Dueling Cards to find out what he had. A red Commander of Stars and a Blue Scout of Stars. He glanced up from behind his visor to find a matching Commander card on the table between him and the ninja. Hiding his smirk behind a stone cold warrior's mask he waited for Jazz to observe his own hand and make the first bet of the round metal credits sitting to each of their sides.
Jazz waited patiently as he looked over his cards and weighed his options. He'd lost to this mech too many times to not take his skills at bluffing and his unreadable poker face seriously. However, this orn Jazz was determined to get his slagging visor back! And maybe a little more.
Picking up two credits the silver ninja tossed them into the center of the table than leaned back and waited. Drift responded quickly enough matching the bet only to lean back and wait for the next card.
The game went on like that for a while. The cards were laid out and the bets were raised until five cards lay out before the two mechs and they stared through playful narrow slits at each other each drumming their fingers on the table. The stack of credits between them was several inches off the table and atop the stack sat Jazz's long lost visor like the icing on the energon cake. Though Jazz didn't watch the object of his interest, instead he held the steady gaze of the warrior across from him that was showing his optics for the first time in vorns.
"We're been here before, Jazz." Drift smirked.
"That we have." Jazz nodded in return.
"Might be the last time for a while."
Jazz's optic ridge rose. "Huh?"
"Didn't you hear?" Drift tilted his head. "I'm getting transferred."
"Really?" Jazz almost forgot the game between them. Transferred? Why in Pit was the big idiot getting transferred?
"Yep," Drift nodded. "Me, Outback, Blurr, and Cosmos. Heading back with Hammerdown and Cyber to Hotrod's ship."
"I didn't know bots were getting transferred."
"Well Prime approached us a couple of orns ago. Seems some troops are shifting around once this is all settled—if it gets settled."
Jazz hid his scowl behind a blink. Transfers. What was Optimus up to now? It wasn't uncommon. Troops jumped ships every now and again following the action and their friends, but no mech had transferred off Artemis 1 since Bumblebee came along.
The notion kind of shocked Jazz.
"Did you ask for a transfer?"
"Nah," Drift shook his head. "Outback and Cosmos were going along to help out on the front so I guess it was kind of them that asked for it, but Prime didn't really want to send those two accident prone mechs to Hot Rod without a few to keep them in line. Primus knows Hot Rod already has the craziest mess of us all already. So he asked Blurr and me if we'd like to get some fresh air for maybe a vorn or two. Depends on the action. Percy ain't really all that happy with us, but he'll get over it and the youngin' won't even notice we're gone."
"He'll notice." Jazz countered.
"He'll be fine." Drift lifted a ridge in return. "He has to get use to this being a war some orn anyway."
"I think he's figuring it out well enough on his own." The silver ninja sighed. "That isn't really a good thing."
"Didn't say it was." Drift shrugged running a finger over his cards. "But it is true. So the sooner he realizes nothing is certain the sooner he'll be able to handle it."
"He's nine vorns old, Drift." Jazz narrowed his optics. "He is one vorn older than a sparkling. He has a good hundred and fifty vorns before he even comes close to being considered grown. And that isn't really grown it's just adolescents."
"I know that as well as you do." Drift flipped his cards over showing his matched Commander cards before him. "I'm just stating what I see and right now I see a pair of Commanders so unless you have something that looks better than this I keep your beloved visor and your credits."
Jazz snorted in amusement. "Sorry dear buddy of mine, but this time I got ya beat."
He flipped his cards to revel a pair of black Aces.
Drift blinked. "Well, frag."
Jazz laughed in triumph as he snatched his visor and his newly won credits from the table stuffing the credits in subspace before he snapped on the visor he'd gone too long without. "Ah it's good to be whole again."
Drift admitted his defeat with a good natured laugh leaning back in his chair crossing his arms. Jazz beamed across the table at him before he too settled back in his seat. The pair of friends observed each other for a klick before Jazz hopped to his feat motioning the warrior after him. Drift watched for a moment until Jazz reached the door turning back to face him motioning to him again.
Shrugging the white and red mech pushed himself to his feet and followed the silver ninja into the halls of the ship not asking where they were headed until they came to a stop in front of a familiar door.
Lifting an optic ridge Drift turned to Jazz who grinned widely back before he knocked his knuckles against the hard surface. It took about a klick before the sound of footsteps could be heard and the door slid open to Sideswipe with a mouthful of popped kernel energon. He grinned stupidly around the snack that was stuffed into his cheeks at the sight of the pair.
"Jazz! You got your visor back."
Jazz snickered. "And you raided the mess hall."
"Yep!" Sides mumbled around his mouthful as he stepped aside and motioned the two into his and Sunstreaker's quarters. It wasn't the first time Drift had been in the lair of the terror twins, he'd helped plan many a bad ideas and spent many a nights playing video games in this extra large berthroom, but he had to admit this was the first time he stepped in to find Sunny laying upside down in his berth that hung from the wall over Sideswipe's with his head hanging over empty space, a game controller in his hands, and his feet propped up on the wall as he twisted the gaming device back and forth his optics glued on the huge screen across the berthroom.
Drift wagered the lunatics were feeling better than they had been.
"Evening, Drift!" Sideswipe plopped back down on their long black couch pulling his bowl of popped kernels into his lap as Jazz sat beside him stuffing his hand into the bowl while Drift walked to the end of the couch and sat.
"Sideswipe." He greeted.
Sides waved a hand full of snacks.
"Sunstreaker."
The golden twin hummed in response not looking away from his battle game. Drift glanced to the screen to find the mech shooting some type of alien worm like beast before he decided he really didn't care what Wheeljack had made for the twins to test this time and he turned to Jazz lifting an optic ridge.
"Jazz?" He spoke. "No offence, but why did you bring me down here?"
"Wanna help us sneak Half Pint out of the Medical Bay and stash him in here to watch some movies and play some games so he can stop living locked up in a fraggin' cage?" Sunstreaker didn't miss a beat in his laser blasting giant worms as he quietly asked.
Drift blinked for a moment before leaning back on the couch staring at all the bots around him. "Haven't you two learned your lesson about sneaking off with the youngling yet?"
"Nope!" Sides mumbled.
"Why am I not surprised?" Drift snorted.
"So you in?" Jazz tilted his head at the warrior.
He was quiet for a moment only to shrug and sink down on the couch. "Why not? Sounds like it could be fun. Might as well get in trouble before I get shipped out. What's the plan?"
"Oh don't worry about that part." Jazz assured him. "All you gotta do is blow up the shooting range."
Drift regarded the saboteur with bemusement before he simply shrugged and agreed. "You'll are going to make Prime offline you all one orn. You know that right?"
"Most likely it will be Hatchet, not Prime." Sides chuckled. "But you are probably right."
"Well I'm certainly not gonna get snuffed by some stupid Decepticon!" Sunstreaker hissed.
"Whatever, I'm in. When we gonna get our stupid afts on the business end of Prime's blade?"
"Tomorrow." Jazz answered.
"Sounds like a plan."
Mechanical purrs rumbled through the little mech's empty recharge bringing Bumblebee blinking back into reality to find slit blue optics hovering over him. For a moment the tiny youngling stared in confusion until the purrs grew into full on happy mews and he suddenly found his short arms wrapped around the neck of his beloved pet.
"Risk!" Bee all put chirped as he held tight to the two-toned robo-cat that mewed happily rubbing his short muzzle into Bee's blanket covered cheat. Quiet chuckles could be heard around the medical bay, but Bumblebee paid them no mind as he giggled while a purring Risk plopped down on top of the tiny mech his paws almost hugging his master while his tail wrapped tightly around the pair of them.
"Bee." The creature's spark called lovingly to his master as Bee kissed the pet on his nose plate laughing as Risk snorted at the action and then sneezed sending the youngling into an even bigger fit of giggles.
"Well I think it's safe to say he's pleased. Both of them." Wheeljack grinned from where he was stuffing tools half hazard into a box so he could return to his own laboratory and finally get out from under Ratchet's judgmental gaze.
"Yes." Ratchet nodded very pleased with this optimistic turn of events. However, he was still a little shocked if he was being honest with himself. When he came out of recharge this morning to find slit blue optics blinking down at him he almost had a spark attack. He was quite grateful no mech had been around to see him practically fly out of his berth only to realize that he wasn't being attacked. There was simply a robo-cat sitting on his berth since he'd knocked it off his chest.
How or why the silly creature managed to come out of stasis lock the medic didn't know, and as crazy as it might be for him to admit it . . . he was okay with that. The creature had woken up—all on his own—and was now right where he needed to be.
Comforting his beloved master.
Bee kept right on giggling well into the orn as he clung to Risk's two-tone frame and the robo-cat made no move to leave him. The best buds simply hunkered down in the youngling's mound of pillows completely riveted by the organic program that flashed on for breams on the TV screen that Jazz had brought them that morning. Said silver saboteur was currently propped up in a chair at the youngling's side with his foot bouncing irritably as he watched Ratchet and Wheeljack toss tools at each other in an effort to get one wacky bot out of the other's space. Their constant picking at each other wasn't what had Jazz on edge—it really wasn't helping—but it wasn't the cause. What had his spark twisting up in knots in his chest was the tiny yellow mech to his left.
For all the giggles and riveted amusement with his program Jazz could still feel it, or more accurately he couldn't feel it.
He reached for Lil' Bee's spark, pleaded with his own for the connection he shared with the little brother he never had, but he found nothing besides foggy numbness. It made him want to ring Ratchet's stupid medic neck.
And by Primus he'd thought about doing just that!
Six orns.
Six fraggin' orns of this slag!
Six orns of watching Bumblebee sit there patiently, not complaining, not whining, not fighting back, not doing much of anything. He just sat there on that berth staring silently ahead of him like he was lost and looking for something. Not even Ironhide and Optimus could really get much of a rouse out of him. He'd speak when spoken too, and listen to those that tried for his attention, but quite honestly this orn was the first time since the twins had him drawing that he'd done much more than just sit there quietly and stare into space.
Ratchet said it was because he was worried about Risk, and now that he had the robo-cat back it should get better. Jazz guessed it kind of had. He was actually smiling and laughing, but it still wasn't the Bumblebee they all loved.
And they all knew it.
Though none of them knew why. However, Jazz thought he might have an idea.
The tiny mech wasn't meant to be in a cage.
Of any kind.
The twins had made that point once and the whole ship had changed their ways because of it, but running with their fraggin' tails between their legs from Mega-idiot didn't really help the case of stop treating Bumblebee like he was a prisoner.
Strapped down to a medical berth didn't really help it either.
Jazz watched from behind his newly reclaimed visor as Bee stroked Risk's audio receptors absent mindedly while the feline mech purred in his lap both bots watching the organic creature called an 'eagle' soar across his TV screen as a monotone voice explained it's life and functions. While Bee found the program amazing, Jazz didn't really care much for the organic planet that fascinated the youngling so. For now he was much more interested in the little plan that was bubbling in the back of his processor.
Something that could probably make even Ratchet glitch when he found out what Jazz, Drift, and the twins were up too.
Well okay it was really more what Jazz and the twins were up too, but when Drift lost the game last night it got him roped in on the little plan too. Not that Jazz thought the skilled warrior minded. He wasn't all that thrilled with the youngling being locked up either. He was more than willing to help, he even got Blurr in on the action.
Jazz had shrugged and agreed when the two mech swaggered into his quarters that morning on the twins' heels. Just meant more company when they all got tossed in the brig by Prowler later tonight if their point didn't get across.
Oh who was he kidding?
Prowler was going to toss them in whether they were right or not. Ratchet had threatened death upon any that tried to move Bumblebee so if they wanted to live to see the ship touch solid ground again Prowl would have to toss them all in the brig to keep the Medic of Doom from tearing them all apart.
A sudden blast of thunder shock the ship down to its very energon lines making Jazz brace himself against the berth to his left to keep himself from falling out of the chair as a terrified little shriek rang out from Bee.
Slumping down into his blankets Bee blinked in terror as the echoing booms shook him down to his very spark. Risk quickly tightened his tail around the youngling's waist as Bee clutched tighter to his pet's audio receptors glancing around at the med bay as the echoes rumbled off into silence once again.
Bee hated thunder.
He wasn't sure why. He didn't use too, but ever since he'd woken up in the med bay a few orns ago any sound or shadow that he couldn't see coming set him on edge. Everything he couldn't place was glowing optics and that sickening hiss. Even if he knew none of his family was going to let anything hurt him again the fear still gnawed as his spark.
A comforting hand was lightly placed on Bumblebee's head petting him softly drawing the tiny mech out of his fear claimed processor to find Jazz leaning close to him a reassuring smile gracing his faceplate as his bright optics twinkled behind his visor.
Bee didn't really like Jazz's visor.
He wasn't use to it and it made him fell cut off from the silver mech even more since the pain meds in his veins fogged his spark.
"Shush Lil' Bee." Jazz assured him. "It's just thunder it can't hurt you."
Bee whined despite Jazz's comforting voice as he leaned into the mech's hand. So Jazz scooted closer petting him softly. The youngling was aware of Ratchet and Wheeljack watching him carefully from across the medical bay, but he paid them no mind as he snuggled down closer to Risk and Jazz as he turned his attention back to the soaring eagles.
He watched for a while longer trying to ignore the pelting acid rain and thunder that beat at his mighty battleship home while Risk's purrs warmed his clouded spark and Jazz kept a protective hand close to him while Jacky and Ratch cleaned the bay and tossed things at each other. The meds in his veins kept him from noticing the shuttle shifts in Jazz as the program rolled on. He couldn't feel that the silver mech was steadily calling out for his spark trying to get some kind of response. He didn't know when the saboteur simply gave up with a huff, settled into his seat, and opened a private comm link.
"Yo terror twins. You listening?"
Static echoed over the comm for a few nano-klicks before Sideswipe's voice echoed back to him.
"'Bout time Jazz. We were starting to think you'd chickened out."
"As if." Jazz grumbled irritably.
"Damn, what crawled up your tailpipe and died?" Sunstreaker huffed.
Jazz sighed. "Sorry mechs. I'm just tired of being closed off from him."
"Well that's kinda all of us, mech." Sides pointed out. "Even Hide and Optimus. We aren't sneaking him off because of the pain killers . . . right Jazz? He has to have those."
"I'm aware he needs the meds, Sideswipe. No that is not why we are doing this." Jazz blinked for a moment thinking over the real reason he and the two of them had come up with this. Why had they decided to go against what Ratchet said and sneak him off?
Because he was locked up like some fraggin' prisoner in his own home. That was why!
Jazz sighed.
Yet he had to be or he would die. He had to be strapped down with I.V. and energon transfers hooked too him or they would lose him. Jazz knew all of that, but it still tore his spark out to watch him lay there with that defeated look in his still slightly scared optics.
The tiny mech desperately needed out of these four too white walls. He needed to be reminded that he was still alive, or maybe it was more that Jazz and the twins needed to be reminded that he was still alive.
That was probably what it really was.
"We're doing it because we need it."
"Yeah that sounds about right." Sunstreaker's voice held his optic roll. "Already did that once. Seems legitimate that we'd do it again."
"We've successfully corrupted the saboteur!" Sideswipe cheered darkly.
"Been this way all along, Sides." Jazz snickered silently. "Can't take credit for that. I've always had a mischief streak. Especially when I'm pissed."
"At least you own up to it." Sides answered. "Blurr and Drift still live in denial."
Jazz snorted into the link. "That's for sure, now speaking of the two fools. Are they ready?"
"Hang on a klick." Sides and Sunny answered together.
Jazz waited patiently for what he assumed was the pair of brother's sneaking around a few halls to see if the other two members of their little band of trouble were finished. While he waited he turned his attention back to Bumblebee who took a moment to glance away from his show to shower Jazz in a bright grin before he went back to watching youngling eagles try to fly. The saboteur grinned to the back of his head until his comm cracked back to life.
"Get ready for a big boom in 3—"
The audio receptor splitting expulsion shook the ship worse than the thunder had, knocking Jazz out of his chair and faceplate first into the cold medical bay floor. Ratchet feel to his aft in an angry yell while Wheeljack went tumbling backwards over one of the empty surgery berths he had been stuffing stuff into boxes on. Bee squeaked in fright while Risk arched up off the berth in an hiss at whatever caused the sound that frightened his master.
Jazz groaned audibly as he pushed himself up with his forearms looking around the medical bay. That went well.
"SIDESWIPE!" Ratchet's voice bellowed into the open comm link that ran throughout the ship making Jazz winch in pain as the sound popped his audio receptors worse than the blast. He glanced up again to find Ratchet an all out ball of raging medic furry his blue optics almost glowing with passion as he hauled himself to his feet, grabbed the nearest wrench, and hauled aft toward the door.
"It wasn't me this time, Wrench! I swear!" Sideswipe's voice echoed fearfully over the comm link as Sunstreaker could be heard in the back ground yelling.
"We didn't do it!"
Ratchet slid to a fuming halt in the door to the bay his hand grasping the wrench so hard it was bending. "Then. Who. Did." He snarled out pointy but the twins didn't answer next.
"Hey uh Ratchet, the shooting range is . . . well . . . ." Bluestreak's slightly timid voice sparked to life over the comm.
"Well what, Bluestreak?!" That was Prowl voice and he didn't sound happy.
Jazz let his faceplate fall back to the floor.
They were so dead.
"It's well . . . kinda . . . in flames." Came Bluestreak's reply.
"Who the pit blew up my slagging shooting range!?" Ironhide's snarl came echoing across the link.
It wasn't supposed to be that big of a bang . . . .
Yeah. Jazz banged his faceplate one time into the floor while Bumblebee peaked over his berth at him. Sooooooooooooo dead.
"Wheeljack, what did you make explode now!?" Perceptor's voice joined the mix.
"Hey!" Wheeljack hauled himself to his feet from the other side of the berth he'd fallen over with a box on his head. Bee snickered at how silly he looked as he tried to pull it off his large audio receptors. "I'm innocent!"
"Jack's been with me!" Ratchet hissed. "He didn't do it."
"Doesn't mean one of his little toys didn't!" Percy shot back.
"Why don't you all stop bickering and get somebot down there and find out?" Optimus's tired voice could be heard finally echoing over the comm. "That might be the more productive course of action."
"Right, Prime." Prowl's much more in control tone came then as he started giving orders until Optimus cut him off with one more comm.
"Oh and twins?" He called.
The whole ship seemed to take a scared breath as the waves were nothing but static silence until Sideswipe softly answered.
"Yes, oh wise and powerful best leader in the whole wide universe?"
"If I find out either of you had anything to do with why there is now a burning hole in the middle of my ship I will throw you into the brig until you rust. Am I clear?"
Jazz gulped as he pushed himself to his feet opening up his private comm with the twins again. "Sides, Sunny," He called. "You guys should probably run."
"It wasn't supposed to make that big of a boom." Sides pleaded to Jazz.
"SIDESWIPE!" The whole ship bellowed.
Jazz slapped his palm to his forehead. Idiot.
Sides groaned. "I just said that over open comm didn't I?"
"Run fools." Jazz told him.
Ratchet and Wheeljack raced out of the medical bay matching the action of probably most of the other mechs on this ship while Jazz simply leaned against the youngling's berth and sighed. Well there goes that plan.
"Uh, Jazzy?" Bee questioned. The silver mech looked down only to realize that Bumblebee had no comm links. He had no idea all of what was just said or why part of the ship just exploded. Well that should be fun to explain. Tell the youngling a plan to take him on a unauthorized field trip just went horribly wrong.
That would end well.
For a klick Jazz stood there looking at Bee thinking everything over only to abruptly break down in hysterical laughter. Despite all the trouble he was going to get in for this he still found it funny. Only the twins could screw up that royally bad, and there was no telling where Drift and Blurr were. Probably under a pile of ruble in the shooting range. Part of him wondered if he should try and comm them or put the hint in one of the mech's that they should be looking for the two, but he couldn't make himself do it. Laughing from deep in his spark he knew they would be fine and that pretty soon they were all going to be sitting down in the brig together laughing about this.
For now though he had other matters to attend too.
Jazz skipped around the berth Bee and his pet sat on watching him with confused optics as he began unhooking monitors and transfers from the wall hooking them to the portable devices that Ratchet always kept stashed nearby. Once all that was needed to keep Bumblebee back on the road to recovery Jazz walked behind the berth and started shoving.
Bee blinked in confusion as he twisted around to watch the silver mech start to roll him out of the medical bay on his berth. What was he doing? Bee wondered.
Risk didn't seem too bothered.
The robo-cat simply plopped down next to the tiny mech and watched as they were rolled away. Bumblebee however, knew that he was supposed to leave the med bay. He'd been listening to Ratchet preach it for about eight orns now and he really didn't want himself of Jazz to get in trouble. That and he was still confused as to why it felt like half the ship blew up.
Were the mean bots back?
That notion made him shiver and Risk lean into his side.
He didn't want the mean bots to come back.
"Jazzy?" He whispered carefully as Jazz wheeled them down a hallway.
"What's up Lil' Bee?"
"Mean bots back?" He mumbled.
Jazz snorted. "Nah Bee. Plans just went a little askew."
"Huh?" Bee tilted his head. Askew? What's askew?
"My brilliant genius just got screwed up by four fools that is all." Jazz chuckled sounding quite amused with himself. Bumblebee still didn't get what he found so funny.
"Oh . . . umm Jazzy?"
"Yep?"
"Where we going?"
"Don't really know." Jazz admitted as an angry yell that sounded scarily like Ratchet when he was about to go all Medic of Doom on somebot sounded from the way they came.
Jazz gulped. Didn't take as long as I thought it would.
The Hatchet had figured out Jazz was behind it quicker than anticipated, ran back to the med bay, and found the silver saboteur and the youngling gone.
Yeah, this wasn't the brightest of Jazz's plans.
Started out pretty good, but by the end of this orn he had a feeling he was going to be nursing an aching head.
"JAZZ YOU FRAGGIN' FOOL!" Ratchet's voice snarled over the comm waves again. "WHERE IN PIT ARE YOU AND WHERE IS MY YOUNGLING!"
His youngling? Jazz snorted. That's so not surprising.
"JAZZ!" Ironhide's unmistakable not-so-pleasant tone. "I'm gonna turn you into a fraggin' plasma smear!"
"Jazz you are an idiot." Prowl's voice echoed. Jazz rolled his optics only to speed up his steps and increase his laughter. Pretty soon he was riding Bumblebee's medical berth around the corners of the halls making Bee laugh with glee and even the robo-cat mew in an amusement. Jazz decided that whatever came next that this was worth it. Just to hear that laugh.
That real laugh.
That laugh he hadn't heard since Bee had been drawing with Sunny. That was worth whatever Ironhide and Ratchet along with Prime did to him for his impulsive recklessness.
"I don't know what your mechs are referring too." Jazz said around his laughter.
"You're busted mech." Drift's pain filled voice drifted in over the static. "Sorry buddy, but they got us."
Jazz was about answer when one very sharp turn on a speeding medical berth came to an abrupt stop. With a yelp of surprise and no amount of grace Jazz went catapulting over Bumblebee's head and landed with a rather painful bang on the other side of the massive frame that had stopped him.
Letting out a groan he blinked his optics open to find Hammerdown twisted around looking down at him like he was glitchy as he stood with both hands out in front of him from where he stopped the berth.
"Jazz?" Hammer lifted an optic ridge.
"Oh," Jazz laughed nervously. "What's up, Hammer?"
The big blue mech narrowed his optics. "Do you have a license to drive a speeding berth with a stolen youngling on it?"
"Umm . . . yes?" He grinned up at the large mech trying to coax that younger version of Hammer he'd known out. That one that had loved pranks and getting into trouble. Because only that Hammerdown was going to help him. Rolling over he hopped to his feet with an almost too peppy smile.
Hammer just glared at him while Bumblebee giggled about Jazz flying over him.
"You by any chance weren't listening to the comm links as of lately were you?" Jazz tried.
Hammer went right on glaring until Ratchet's bellow could be heard down the hall.
"WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU JAZZ I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN SPARKED!"
"Don't really think I have to be listening to the comm links, Jazz." The frontliner answered him.
Jazz let out a tired sigh. "Yeah well . . . damn. It started out as such a great plan."
"You and the twins were trying to get him some different surroundings weren't you?" Hammerdown asked.
Jazz perked up. "Yeah."
"Would have probably worked better if you hadn't used to much explosives."
"Probably." Suddenly Jazz grinned with mischief. "You know what Hammer?"
The big blue mech lifted an optic ridge again.
Springing forward Jazz plucked Bumblebee off the berth making sure to be mindful of all the attached wires, shooed Risk onto the floor, spun on his heels, and shoved the youngling into Hammer's arms.
"Hey w-what the pit!" Hammerdown stuttered as he backed up only to find the youngling was still somehow in his arms.
"Hold him. Don't let go. Don't take him back to the medical bay. And don't let him get board. He tends to get a little fussy when that happens. See ya, Hammerdown!" With that Jazz spun away, jumped up on the berth and used it as a sort of surf board—at least that was what it looked like he was doing—racing down the hall to cut off Ratchet and whoever else was chasing him. "HAVE FUN HAMMER!"
Hammerdown stood there dumbly blinking after the silver mech he'd known for most of his life in utter bemusement until he turned his dark optics down to the adorable little faceplate that was Bumblebee as the youngling blinked up at him.
Bee smiled shyly as Risk arched up on the floor hissing at Hammer.
"Well . . . ." He sighed. "This should be fun."
"And he just handed him off to you and surfed away?" Cyber blinked at Hammerdown from across his desk.
"That's right." Hammer nodded as he bounced the youngling lightly in his arms while his robo-cat paced the floor with a twitching tail.
"And you brought him here?" Cyber added.
"Yep."
"Not back to Ironhide were he belongs?"
"All the stuff he needs is still hooked up to him. It's not life threatening for him to be here or anything like that."
"It's threatening to our lives." Cyber pointed out. "Besides you don't like him remember. You've been telling yourself that since we got on this ship."
"Well . . . ." Hammerdown shrugged and fell down to the chair across from the security expert's desk. "Even I get tired of being a hard aft all the time."
"Please," Cyber rolled his optics. "You only think you're a jerk. Inside you're a giant cyber-puppy who is losing all his reasons to be pissy."
"Yeah, sad ain't it?"
Cyber snorted. "Hammerdown you are pitiful."
"Not as pitiful as this faceplate!" Hammer offered up Bumblebee for Cyber to blink at while Bee once again smiled shyly and tilted his head. He still had no idea why he was in the visiting mech's office or why Hammer didn't bring him back to Ratchet.
They were all going to get in a whole lot of trouble for this. Even around the meds clouding his spark he could feel Ironhide looking for him. The anger and the disappointment flooding the air around him and he could feel it because about ten klicks ago some of the pain medicines started fading. Not that he was complaining. He could actually feel some of the sparks he loved.
Sort of.
Jazz had done something wrong. He guessed that was take him out of the medical bay, he wasn't sure. Though it seemed that some kind of conversation had stalled the search for him for a few klicks a little while ago and even with his hindered connections he could tell that whatever Jazz said got through the anger that was thrown at him. He proved some kind of point. Sort of.
What point that was Bee didn't know because he couldn't feel enough. That and Hammerdown actually talking to him was kind of distracting. He figured out a while ago that the big blue mech didn't hate him, but he didn't know whether or not the big frontliner actually liked him.
He'd had his doubts.
Now though as he was placed on Cyber's desk between the two of them and Risk was allowed to hop up and curl around him protectively he kind of thought that maybe, just maybe, both the mechs might be sort of found of him.
That alone made him grin.
"Hammer, you have to take him back to Prime." Cyber sighed. "The whole ship is looking for him."
"Jazz would have had to tell where he was by now."
"Yeah that's my—"
"HAMMER! HE BETTER SLAGGING BE WITH YOU!" The door to Cyber's office swung open to a fuming Ironhide. Both mechs faced the angry weapons specialist with apprehensive grins.
"Oh hey, Hide." Hammer greeted. "What brings you here?"
Ironhide snarled at his former student who suddenly sounded more like the old Hammer than the one he had come to accept as the one he was now going to have to live with since he figured the young mech he'd once called brother would never truly return to him. Yet that sounded far from the angry frontliner that had gone toe to toe with him in the shooting range not so long ago. Ironhide couldn't say that bothered him.
But the fact that Hammerdown had hidden his youngling from him.
That fraggin' bothered him!
Bee chirped in glee. "Hide!"
When his guardian's optics finally landed on him he rocked back and forth in utter happiness. The anger that radiated from the massive black frame slowly seeped out as the mech strolled over to pull Bumblebee carefully from the table mindful of the portable IV and monitor that sat beside him.
Bee could care less though.
He squeaked joyfully snuggling into Ironhide's chest holding onto the crevices in his armor while his guardian maneuvered the things still hooked up to him into his arms as well. Risk meowed loudly hopping from the table and began to pace around Ironhide's feet while the mighty mech turned to stare down at the two younger mechs.
"You're coming." Was all he said before turning to leave. Bee watched from around Hide's thick arm as the small white bot and the big blue one glanced at each other in apprehension than pushed themselves up and followed after them.
Turning his curios gaze to Ironhide Bee laid his head against his guardian's bulk and watched as the familiar faceplate as he stalked down the halls of Artemis 1 with Hammerdown and Cyber at his heels and Risk prancing around their feet.
They marched on along the long silver hallways until they reached the nerve center of Artemis 1.
The bridge.
Bumblebee's bright optics took in the room in one sweep even with the meds still floating through his systems. Optimus was at the command chair staring out the huge clear glass like haul at the front of the ship. The acid rain cloud filled sky whirled by as the powerful engines propelled them forward. Prowl was standing to his left his optics glued to a data pad while Jazz slumped irritably at his side. Energon leaked down his silver shoulder where it looked like somebot took a blow torch to the side. Springer stood off to one side of the bridge at a control panel looking like he was driving the ship while Hound and Bluestreak were at some kind of massive thing of flickering lights that looked like it controlled something.
What Bee didn't know, but he wasn't really all that worried about it.
Tracks and Inferno were on the other side of the bridge doing something of importance, but Bee was distracted by a loud clang followed by Sideswipe's whimper. He looked to the platform behind Optimus's chair to find Ratchet smacking the red twin in the head with a welding torch. Sunstreaker sat at his twin's side looking a little worse for wear himself though that was nothing compared to Drift and Blurr. The white and red mech along with the shorter blue one sat to Sideswipe's right looking like the whole battle ship crashed down on top of them. Bee had never seen either of the proud warriors look so downcast. Their armor was dented and scorched from head to toe. It was like they'd been stuffed in a toaster or something.
Bee guessed it must have been them that caused the big boom.
But why?
He didn't get the change to wonder for much longer though because Optimus's optics found him.
"Ironhide." The commander rose from his chair every optic around the room glancing up to find the little yellow mech safely in Hide's arms. Though some surprise filtered around the room when Hammerdown and Cyber stood awkwardly behind him.
"He's alright." Hide answered making Bee glance around.
"I already told you that." Jazz huffed from where he leaned against the railing around the commander's platform. "I wasn't going to let him get hurt. We just wanted to get him out of the damn medical bay."
"Mute it!" Ratchet flung a wrench across the room and bounced it off the silver mech's injured shoulder. Jazz winced and went to say more when Ratchet left the twin he was tormenting to stomp over to the saboteur. "I warned you, you little glitch!"
Jazz lowered his head.
"And you two!" Ratchet swung to face the pair behind Ironhide making Bumblebee flinch at the anger glowing in his optics while Hide stepped out of the way to lift an optic ridge at the pair. Cyber lowered his optics while Hammerdown crossed his arms and stuck out his chin in defense. "What slaggin' virus has CRASHED YOUR PROCESSORS!?"
"I told you I just handed him to Hammer they didn't have anything to do with it!" Jazz pleaded.
"MUTE IT!"
"Ratchet," Optimus laid his hand on the medic's shoulder earning him a glare before the Prime tilted his head toward Bee. Bee watched them with apprehension.
They were fighting again.
He hated it when they were fighting.
"Check on Bumblebee and then get him back to the medical bay where he belongs."
Ratchet bit his lip in anger before he let out a heavy huff stomping over to Ironhide. "As you wish, Optimus."
"Don't wanna go!" Bee crossed his arms irritably over his chest sticking his bottom lip out at the mechs around the room. As far as he was concerned if they got to yell at each other than he got to stay out of the medical bay. He was tired of all of this anyway.
He'd been on his best behavior. Been doing everything Ironhide and Ratchet told him to do. He took the meds, he took the needles, and he didn't fuss even if every fiber of his little youngling self wanted too. He had done everything they asked hoping that if he behaved that everything would go back to normal. That he would be allowed back in his own berth, to recharge in his guardian's room, and allowed to play again. Yet he was still stuck in the medical bay with no hope in sight. On top of that they were all being snipping with each other again.
Bumblebee just couldn't grasp why they did that. Why did they have to get mad at each other? He'd had enough mad for one life time. Even if the memoires that sometimes haunted him in his recharge really didn't make all that much sense one thing he could recall was the anger. The anger that always clung to every breath.
It was like it had been in the very air he had breathed.
Even his sparkling processor had known that.
The place his carrier had taken him from all that time ago hadn't been a happy one and he remembered how much relief had been in her spark when she had told him that they were free. Back then he hadn't really understood what she meant, but now he knew it meant that they could do as they pleased.
Why they couldn't do it before he didn't know, and why it had been such an angry place they'd come from he didn't know either. Those were the things he couldn't remember.
Now though all that he knew was that he was tired of being locked in a medical bay and he was even more tired of his family snipped at each other.
And he intended to tell them that.
"Bee," Ironhide scolded softly. "You have to go back to the medical bay."
"No!" Bee snapped, twisting his head back in forth and trying to crawl out of Hide's hold. The massive black bot kept rolling his hands keeping Bee from really getting anywhere, but the little yellow youngling was not so easily deterred. He kept right on struggling until half the wires attached to him were twisted and pulling and yanking painful drops of energon out of him until Ratchet's full on medic mode descended on him.
"WILL YOU QUIT THAT YOU LITTLE—GAH STOP THAT!" Lightly flicking Bee across the head Ratchet abruptly yanked him out of Hide's arms pulling him close to his own chest and started reattaching the pulled wires. Though Bee was having none of it. He kept on struggling pit bent that he was going to get what he wanted this time and when one of the wires attached to his arm yanked out with a rather painful snap and he squeaked in pain Risk did the rest for him.
The over protective silver and blue robo-cat sprang from the floor with a wicked hiss.
Claws first Risk dug into Ratchet's arm making the medic yelp under his breath letting go of Bee for a moment, but that was all the robo-cat needed. He sank his fangs delicately into Bumblebee's scruff bar twisting around so the IV and the transfer monitor that were still attached would sling around his back so they wouldn't yank out before he landed with an elegant prance and took off out of the bridge like every demon in Pit was after him.
"RISK!" Ironhide, Optimus, Ratchet, and the rest of the bridge crew yelled after the robo-cat and the giggling youngling that swung from his jaws.
Stalking through the dark corridors of Nemesis Megatron chuckled darkly to himself.
Oh this was going swimmingly. Absolutely swimmingly.
Tossing the small data chip that still held the image of the youngling up and down he made his way toward the medical bay slash torture chamber of one very brightly painted lunatic. The good doctor had called for him this morning with news and now the mighty Lord of the Decepticons was almost prancing down the long dark halls with Soundwave silently almost floating at his side.
Together the pair reached the tall arched doorway where the Lord punched in the code and the obstacle swished open to revel the sheer terror that was the Decepticon medical bay.
Unlike the Autobot medical bay that was pristine, white, and kept the lair of the vanity obsessed medic looked like a chunk right out of the Pit. It was dark, it was murky, and it was stained from the floors to the walls in energon the medic never bothered to clean. Every berth he had for surgery was hard and cold with more things for dissecting than anything else stuffed all around and while Prime's medic specialized in fixing bots Megatron's was far better at taking them apart.
He enjoyed it much more as well.
He only fixed those that he bothered to actually care about. And those that his Lord ordered him too.
Like the one that had been in the bay for a few vorns now getting patched back together. Which was the very reason Megatron had been called down to the medical bay this evening.
The Decepticon Lord's harsh red optics lit in excitement when he found the bulky purple seeker sitting up on a berth nursing a cup of energon as the large blue and grey mech with a crimson faceplate and one burning orange optics stood at the patient's side watching him in his boss's absence. Though when his Lord and the quiet Soundwave entered the warrior assistant looked up only to bow slightly.
"Lord Megatron."
"Ah Breakdown, good to see you have returned. Was your mission a success?" Megatron almost hissed as he came to a stop in front of the berth Skywarp sat on with the medic assistant watching over him now that the two-tone mech was back from the little trip he'd been sent on.
"Yes, my Lord." Breakdown nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It is as you thought. They are readying to make their move."
"Good." Chuckling at his own brilliance the tyrant crossed his arms behind his back and took in the dark, foul smelling room. "Where is the dear doctor?"
"Here, Lord Megatron." Knockout swaggered out of a dark office at the end of the black bay twirling his energon prod between his nimble fingers as the tall, lanky, handsome, bright red mech joined the few at the entrance to his fun house.
"Good doctor." Megatron rolled the ironic words off his tongue. "I see you have finally patched up my dear seeker."
"He is at last fully functional again." Knockout confirmed as he did a quick scan of the purple mech who bowed to the best of ability to his Lord.
"Good you see you again, Skywarp." Megatron chuckled. "The information you provided me with has been very handy my good warrior."
"I live to serve, Lord Megatron." Skywarp rasped with the voice he hadn't used in vorns. He no longer sounded like his cheery self. That old voice and tone was lost to him when he came too for just a breem a few vorns ago to tell his Lord what he'd seen only to slip back into stasis. It had taken Knockout this long to repair him, but there was much the medic hadn't been able to fix. The damage the seeker had received had been fatal. The only reason he was still online was because despite all Knockout claimed he really was good a fixing things. His long ago mentor had made sure of that.
Even if Knockout hated it.
That was the reason he enjoyed taking things apart more than he liked putting them together.
"And you served me well. Now that the good doctor has put you together again you will serve me once more." Megatron told him.
"Anything you wish, my Lord." Skywarp nodded slowly his processor still a little sluggish with being in stasis lock for so long.
"Hey, hold up a klick!" Knockout huffed, spinning on his lord with flashing dark red optics. Breakdown took the moment to step forward and place a hand on his friend's shoulder trying to remind him of his place only to have the shorter red mech spin to him with a hiss waving his energy cackling prod at him. "Hands off the finish!"
Breakdown stepped back with a roll of his optics.
"Lord Megatron," Knockout spun back to his leader. "I just spent about seven vorns putting that mass of scrap metal back together and I'll not have you sending him back out there to get trashed by those fraggers again! I don't like piecing stuff back together from burnt shrapnel!"
"You will do as I command!" Megatron stomped forward to tower of the shorter medic until he had the hotheaded mech backed up to a corner and bowing his head submissively. "Do not forget Knockout what hole you were drug out off all those vorns ago and who it was that drug you out! Gave you a purpose! A chance to get even! I am the Lord of this place and you are my loyal doctor! You will fix whatever I tell you to fix and you will torture whatever I tell you to torture! And should I tell you to put Skywarp back together a thousand more times you will do it! Do you understand me!?"
Cowering slightly beneath his commander Knockout bit his tongue to keep the smart retort at bay when he caught the warning glare Breakdown shot him. If their Lord trashed him there was only Soundwave to put him back together and as much as the quiet mech did actually kind of like the smart mouthed aft he wouldn't be so willing to back any retort against his master and would leave Knockout to leak for a while like some kicked cyber-puppy to think about what he'd done.
Reining in the anger in his spark at his hard work going to waste Knockout nodded slowly. "Of course my Lord. How foolish of me to think otherwise."
"Correct, Knockout." Megatron seethed. "Now,"
The massive silver mech turned back with a chuckle to Soundwave giving him a sharp nod.
"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave bowed deeply before latching his long silver claws into Skywarp's arm hauling the mech up despite his quiet yelp and lead him out of the medical bay without another word.
The bay was quiet for a good few klicks after that as the commander turned back to one of the first to join his ranks. The brightly painted mech still stood with his head bowed trying to keep his mouth from getting him scrapped again until his leader's overly chipper chuckle lifted the medic's dark optics along with the glowing orange one that belonged to the warrior who stood quietly across the room.
"Dear good doctor," Megatron was almost giggling. That alone had Knockout on edge. It was never good when he got like that. That scarier part of him came out. That thing deep inside the tyrant's spark that not even the medic had yet to figure out was rearing its ugly head. That never ended in anything less than a very energon soaked medical bay for the medic. With more injuries than he could ever hope to possibly fix. "I have something you and your good assistant must help me do."
Breakdown and Knockout both looked up in surprise.
"My lord?" Breakdown questioned.
"Loyal soldiers of mine, we're going on a field trip!" Laughing like some deranged lunatic Megatron strolled back out of the medical bay tossing the data chip he hadn't put down in a vorn as he almost bubbled with joy.
Everything was going just as he planned, and soon he would hold the key to breaking his dear littler brother into more pieces than even that medic of his could put back together.
He would destroy Prime from the inside out and he would finally accomplish what he had sworn to his master he would do what felt like a life time ago.
He would win and rule a Prime-less Cybertron.
Knockout and Breakdown stood quietly staring after the back of their master long after he'd gone. They were silent for some time the two friends just staring before Breakdown huffed crossing his arms over his chest.
"I swear there is something wrong with him."
Knockout gave a cold laugh. "Gee what was your first clue, Breakdown?"
"Oh I don't know maybe the whole split personality thing." Breakdown rolled his optics. "I swear he has one! And I'm not the only one that things so!"
"He is your Lord, Breakdown." Knockout said more to himself than anything else. "You need to remember that."
"I'm well aware." The warrior mumbled as he thought over what got him and his best friend on this side of the war so long ago. "I'm also well aware where that has gotten us."
"Yes," Knockout sighed as he turned to make his way back into his dark office. "It's gotten us nowhere."
Nowhere at all. Since he stepped foot on this side of the line he'd lost almost everything he thought he once valued, and there where orns now where he wondered . . . how much more would he have to lose to finally find the revenge they were chasing after.
A revenge he was no longer sure either of them wanted.
Dang I really, really hope I didn't butcher those two to badly.
That last part took forever! Knockout and Breakdown are harder then I thought they'd be. Well I love them and I just couldn't not put them in here. So yeah, there you go. The crazy doc and his loyal assistant have joined the mix.
Anyway, Jazz's plans don't always work out so well for all parties involved . . . some times he's just a idiot. Though it probably would have gone better if Drift and Blurr hadn't screwed up the explosives.
Also, Risk is back! Yaaaaaay! Who missed him? I missed him.
Then there's Mega-idiot . . . . His plan is coming to light guys and pretty soon that happy go luck world over on the Autobot ship is . . . oh wait I can't tell you that it'll ruin the surprise. Hee-hee ignore me.
So once again, please review and tell me what you think. I really liked this chapter I laughed so much while I wrote it. I hope you guys enjoyed it too.
*Hint for the next chapter!*
Ironhide and Bee have an adorable moment, the crews finally get back together, and you guys meet Quickfire!
Chat with ya later
-Jay