I do not own Transformers. All original Transformers belong to rightful owners!
I also do not own ANY songs, name brands or media used in this story (Don't Sue me please!).
I DO own Celestial Jazmine Jackson and her cat Minty...and the plot.
Props to; ArisuTamaZuki, Jazzy757505, MJCM1, Seiyafox, Valavare, emlafi and EmzTheSpirit For following!
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Major thanks to; BumbleStreakerSwipe, Bees2345, Stella-Nyx, Youngb15, becks121, nuku nuku6, LaurenA007, ApocalypticSquirrel, Sirenix Prime, TimeLadySpitfire, ProfessorZoom, zudebaby, shapeshifterlover, , MysticFire101, Cookiie22, Velvet Thunder, JerseyPrime23, MonMonMuffin2714, J. N. Williamson, Emerald Anime, Fanficqueen306, Shiovaun, bluedog44, Wolfcrystar14, Dracula's Daughter91,Alex-chan224, SolusPrime2004, xXxScarletxXxSakuraxXx, SoundlyManners, emlafi, Smokey Smokes, SubjectCero, ThayetRosethorn and Rhia7899for adding me to their list of Favorite authors! I appreciate it!
Jazzilynn Hall: Hello! Long time no see I know! Here's that chapter I was talking about a few days. I hope that is everything you hoped it would be! This chapter has a lot of drama! We're in a mini dramatic, sad arc right now. If I have my way, the fluff will return in two chapters...one hopefully before the year ends! BTW please read both author's notes if you wanna know what happened this time. You were right about a lot of things, and your theories had a lot of ground in this chapter! I hope things add up for you now! And of course I hope you are well and that you enjoy the chapter!
Sirenix Prime: Hello! Here is a new chapter! Sorry it took so long, please see the Author's notes for why if you want to know. You'll get an answer to your question in this chapter, and let me say, things get pretty heavy towards the end! I hope you like the chapter, and I hope you are well!
Rebecca Frost: Hello! Thank you for the comment! I worked really hard on the last chapter to get the balance right! This chapter is a little more heavy, especially towards the end. We wont be seeing much fluff for a few chapters, so hang on! I hope you are well, and that you like the chapter! Also, read the Author's notes to see where I've been if you'd like. But nonetheless, I hope you like the chapter!
A/N: Hi there! You'll notice that the author's note is up here this chapter. There is a very important reason for that. If you don't want to read this, I understand, and wont feel bad if you go straight to the story.
IF YOU'RE A FOLLOWER/FAVORITE-R OF HOBO, SKIP THIS PART IF YOU'VE READ IT!
As many of you know, I am in college to become a teacher. That is usually the reason why it takes so long for me to post. I am sad to say that this isn't the case this time. For those of you who have read my other stories, namely Love Times Two and Love Quadrupled you know that the main character has two dogs, a German Rottweiler named Zeus and a German Shepherd Husky mix named Phoenix. When I created the character I wanted her to be as realistic as possible, so I gave her the dogs that I had. The key word in that last sentence was had. I did own a German Rottweiler named Zeus when I was younger, however I owned Phoenix the German Shepherd Husky mix when I became a writer. Now to many, animals aren't people, and I understand that, but to me and my family, Zeus and Phoenix were not just people but a vital part of the family. I adopted him in middle school when he was a puppy, a great deal of time after Zeus's passing. Phoenix helped me through everything. He helped me get through bullying, through the stress of high school, through work, he helped me loose weight and we both gained some of it back in college. He was a major part of my life. Now many of you are probably wondering why I'm telling you this. In actuality, if it weren't for Phoenix, I wouldn't be writing at all. To deal with the stress of life, I took Phoenix for long walks. While I was on these walks I'd daydream and think of stories as well as what I wanted to do when I graduated from High school. He helped me decide that I wanted to be a teacher, and he helped me come up with the concepts of my stories. For every story that I have written, he has been a part of the creation process because it was on walks with him that I thought of characters, story arcs, plot twists, character flaws, character arcs and even how the story is told in terms of point of view and what the characters say. He'd sit next to me and watch me write, and he'd listen to me when I read my stories out loud to him. He'd check on me on late nights when I was writing and doing homework before he'd go to sleep. He was always energetic, full of love and life.
So what happened? Around last September we noticed he had a small lump on his lip. We thought that it was a papilloma, a wart like growth, because he had had them before. However by mid October we noticed that the growth was growing quickly. We took him to the vet and they gave him antibiotics for the growth which was quickly becoming infected. By November we knew something was very wrong. The antibiotics weren't working as well anymore. The vet took a look at it and told us that it was by how it was shaped and how it was growing, cancerous. Given that it was on his lip and in his mouth, it meant that it couldn't be removed. By the end of November he couldn't play with his toys or eat his normal dry food. It was about a week later that we made the difficult decision to put him down, because his quality of life had gone down severely.
This is why I didn't post in December. I was both mourning his passing and unmotivated to write because of it. And for that I apologize.
Having said that, I haven't given up writing all together. While Phoenix was a major part of my writing process and is very dearly missed, he did leave me with enough character arcs and plot points for each story to finish them off. As it turned out, I thought of each story and what would happen in each on my last walk with him. This chapter is reminiscent of that.
So my dear readers, I will admit that this chapter is heavy and not just because it was the last one I got to work on with him present. This chapter contains some of Phoenix's fire, his determination and above all his protectiveness. Be warned, you may need tissues for the feels that Phoenix and I came up with.
Thank you for sticking around with this story and for reading this long A/N. I'm sorry for it. I hope you understand, and I hope you will be kind in not leaving a flame because of this A/N or for any other reason. There will be another one at the end with another bonus point opportunity.
On to the story you all patiently waited for! Again sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoy! :)
JAZZ'S POV
I don't remember much.
"'M sorry Jazz. They have her. The cons…they got her. I tried to save her but I couldn't protect her!"
Those words…
"'M sorry Jazz."
Those words…
"They have her. The cons…they got her."
Those words…
"I tried to save her but I couldn't protect her!"
I remember those words. All of them. All 21 of them…
"'M sorry Jazz."
Every. Single. Last. One.
"Alrigh'. I love ya."
Those words…
"Love you too."
Those were the last words I said to her. The last words I'd hear from her.
"They have her. The cons…they got her."
Those words…. they haunt me. They haunt me like nothing else ever has before.
"Jazz?"
Minty. He's just as devastated as I am. Maybe more.
"Jazz?" He said again as he found a way onto my desk. I don't remember much. I remember those words…but after? I can't remember. Ratchet says it's for the best. I've heard others say that I won't remember, that I don't want to remember. But I do. I want to remember everything, but I can't. I…I just can't.
I felt Minty as he rubbed up against my hands, his soft fur somehow soothing me, bringing me out of my daze. He was among the first to hear the news. He wasn't even in the hall, in the room when Lennox and Prime told the troops what happened to her. He knows because of Replenish, and because of his instincts. He heard me…he…he came and found me, after what happened in that hallway…
I didn't believe Blue at first…we were barely through the ground bridge when he said it. "'M sorry Jazz. They have her. The cons…they got her. I tried to save her but I couldn't protect her!"
I heard him say that…I tried to follow him, to get answers to what he meant…but…I knew what he meant….I knew what he meant. I knew right there, right then. The 'Con's have her.
I don't remember much else after that. I remember feeling angry… Those weren't enough answers for me. Hound and 'Hide did their best. They really did. But…they should have let go. They shouldn't have held me. Not for as long as they did after Blue said that.
I have a faint memory of their yells as I tried to break free. I faintly remember their grunts of effort as they tried to hold me in place. I remember their snarls of pain. I remember seeing Jolt in the Medbay. Blue was on a table, and Ratchet was doing something…I don't know what. I remember a flash and pain. Lots and lots of pain. I think I yelled out in pain. But it didn't matter then, and it doesn't matter now. No pain can compare to what I feel right now. No pain.
I'd rather drink boiling acid…or eat a ton of cosmic rust…rather than feel how I do now. Replenish recorded what Lennox and Prime said about her…and he showed it to Minty. He then came and found me in the Medbay after what I did…or tried to do. I was out cold when he found me. He stayed with me until I came back online and told me what Replenish had told him.
A man hunt. That's their plan. They're gonna search the globe for her. But that isn't gonna work.
"Jazz"
Not without me. It's not gonna work.
"Jazz"
They won't let me help. They won't let me search for her…
"JAZZ!" Minty barked. I looked down at him, feeling the depression and pain weigh heavily on my spark as I did so. He looked up at me with the same look I was giving him.
"I can't lose you too."
He said softly as he looked down. I brought him to my face, and gently nuzzled him. I'm not sure if it was to comfort him or me. I haven't seen my blanket since I've been back, and I'm wondering what happened to it. He's the closest thing to it. Something soft, warm, fuzzy…something that Celeste had.
"I won't leave you. I promise."
I said softly. He's all that's left of her really. Her room…I don't want to go into it. I really don't want to go near it. It's not the same. Without her, It's an empty tomb. A shrine to what used to be. The words…the very last words I said to her were that I loved her, but the last conversation we had was an argument. Those words now bounce around in that empty room. That argument lives on in her absence in that room. Her studio lights are on, but there's no life to them. Despite all of the fabric and the machines, it's just an empty room without her. Her energy, her soul, took up all of that space and made it special. But now it sits empty. Just like her room. And just like Minty and I.
"You hungry?" I asked as I put him down. He looks just as bad as I do, if not worse. His fur has gone dull and his coat is thinning out, due to the stress and the anguish I imagine.
"I'm not really that hungry."
"C'mon Minty. You gotta eat something."
I said. He's ignoring me.
"Celeste would want you to eat…"
I pressed. "Like you should talk!" He spat. His fur fluffed up a little in his anger.
"Minty- "
"She wouldn't be happy with how you're acting either you know!"
He said angrily. Before I could say anything, he began to speak again. "In fact, she didn't like how you were acting before she got kidnapped!"
I want to defend myself, but…I feel as though I shouldn't. I don't deserve to defend myself right now, because he's right.
"C'mon. Let's go get cleaned up and get somethin' to eat. She'd be devastated if she saw us right now." I said as we left. Minty didn't say anything as I walked into the washracks. I put him carefully on a shelf before I turned on the water.
"What are you waiting for?" Minty said as he fluffed his fur. I…haven't washed since I last saw her. Her hug, her last kiss…they're still on me. Her scent is still lingering on my frame.
"Jazz…"
"I…can't."
Minty sighed before he jumped to another shelf, and then another until he was eye level with me.
"You're…scared you're gonna wash her away. Aren't you?"
I just stood there and stared at him and at the water.
"I can still smell her on my frame a little. That's…that's all I have left of her."
Minty was silent for a while. I should probably turn the water off…
"That's not true you know."
I looked back at him. "You…you have me. And…and w…w…we… we can go to her room. She's not gone…she's…. she's just missing."
He whimpered. I dialed back the temperature on the water before I gently picked him up and snuggled him close. He smells like her too. But he also smells a little musty. Musty or not, what he said is true. "We will find her." I said as I walked into the spray of water. "HEY!" He hissed at me.
"Sorry, but you smelled a lil' funky. Don' worry. Its jus' a rinse."
"You'd better hope so! Just because I love you doesn't mean I won't kill you!" He growled as I gently scrubbed at his fur with my digits. Some of the sounds he's making are so funny!
"Stop laughing! You of all people should understand why I hate being wet!"
"Sorry Mint. C'mon, let's get dried off." I said as I walked us over to the dryers.
"This won't hurt right?"
"Nah."
I said as I set the heat setting to a lower one. Once we were under the heater he proceeded to shake the water from his fur. It wasn't long before we were both dry and he was all fluffed up. I gently stroked his fur back into place, only for him to sneeze, making his fur puff back out.
"Awww!"
"Oh, stop it. C'mon. Let's go get some food." He said dryly as he snuggled into me. We went straight to her room. Thanks to Prowl, and Flareup, I didn't have to get energon. I already had the cubes they had brought me in my subspace.
Opening her room was just as I thought it would be. Like opening a long-forgotten tomb. But…much cleaner. I put Minty down so that he could stretch his legs while I got a bowl of food ready for him. Her room is so quiet. You can actually hear the ocean in here.
"Here you go Mint man." I said as I put the bowl of food on her desk where he perched himself. He just sat there and stared at it.
"I…I'm not so hungry anymore."
"C'mon Minty. I'll eat if you eat." I said as I sat down near the desk and crossed my legs under me. He pushed the bowl away from him and laid down before curling up. I was about to say something when Replenish skittered up to me. "Hey 'Plenish. You need to refuel? I got some extra energon in my subspace." I said. He made an angry hissing noise at me before giving a short and angry huff and then he skittered off into the tower that he and Minty share.
"Re- "
"Jazz?" Minty said. Sounding depressed. I looked at him to see him sit up slowly and look at me with more anger, than I've ever seen from him.
"Why'd you break up with Celestial?"
"Huh?" I said in complete and utter confusion.
"Why'd you have to go and break up with her huh?! Was it because of that stupid argument you two had before you left? Or do you seriously think she cheated on you?!"
"Minty, we had an argument. We didn't break up."
"DON'T LIE TO ME!"
"Whoa! Minty I- "
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE LIE TO ME! I WAS THERE! I SAW YOU BREAK UP WITH HER! DON'T LIE TO ME DAMN IT!"
"I WOULD NEVER BREAK UP WITH HER!"
"AND WHY NOT?!"
"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!"
I barked back at him. But I'm not done. Not yet.
"I FRAGGING LOVE HER WITH ALL MY SPARK AND IT IS OFFLINGING ME TO KNOW THAT I CAN'T TELL HER THAT!"
I shouted. He glared at me for a while before he slowly got up and slunk across the desk. He effortlessly stepped over his bowl of food and crossed the remainder of the desk before he jumped from it onto my abdomen. He stalked up my chest until he was close enough to look me in the optic. He sat there silently before he spoke again.
"What. Did. You. Just. Say?"
"I. Fragging. Love. Her. With all of my spark! I'd rather offline than never be able to tell her that to her face again!"
"Good." He growled. He then jumped off of my chest and trotted over to her bed, snarling in rage. "I knew that it wasn't you we saw in the hanger that day! I knew something was wrong!" He growled. I got up and followed him to her bed. My spark broke at what I saw.
My. Blanket.
"Whoever was impersonating you, got into your room. She found this ripped up at our door!" He spat as he arched his back growling. I picked up my blanket and snarled. I held it close to me, getting the scent that I was so scared I'd wash away. It was her. She slept with it.
I heard an angry growl from the ground. I looked down to see a seething Replenish. Little tendrils of blue electricity were dancing around his legs, and one darted out and shocked Minty making him yelp in his native tongue. He glared at Replenish as the little bot turned to look at him semi apologetically. I watched Minty's eyes as they scanned across Replenish's screen. A dark glare came to his face, but it also held a look of morbid mischief. "Replenish says he's going to shock the life out of whoever pretended to be you."
"I will fucking split their helm in two." I grit out before looking at the two. "Minty."
"Yeah."
"When exactly did you see me break up with Celeste?"
"Bout a week after you guys started chasing the Decepticons."
"I only came back twice. And that was to give a report to Prime, and to get ammunition. I was chasing the Con's the rest of the time."
"Why?"
"To get intel. The whole reason why I was out there so long is because one of those slaggers mentioned Celeste. He said that I should be real fragging careful with her."
The two of them stared up at me, silently asking for more. "Oh, I offlined him. But I couldn't figure out how he knew about her."
"So, you continued to search for answers. Meanwhile, some one here has been making her life a living hell."
"What do you mean?"
"Aside from your imposter, someone ransacked her studio. They didn't get caught on camera though."
"What?!"
"There was a note left in her studio warning her to break up with you or else. Not only that, but people had been giving her some really nasty looks too. You coming back was her only high light. Well…"
"Well what?"
"Well…that and the fact that she had been invited to fashion week."
"She got in?!"
"She was gonna show you the tickets when you got back…but…"
"OH, I WILL FRAGGING KILL WHOEVER DID THIS!"
I roared. "You won't have to search far."
"What do you mean?"
I asked angrily as he sniffed at my torn blanket. "Whoever did this is still on base."
"You know the mech that did this?" I asked. Minty chuckled darkly.
"I know the people who did this. More than one person was involved here."
"Well who the frag was it then?" I asked darkly.
"Don't know. "
"What do you mean you don't know?!"
"I'm not quite sure. You each have specific smells. It depends on the soaps you use, the waxes and polishes, how often you use them… you all have your own basic signature scents. I know because I can smell things that most humans can't. You guys smell different. Like something that's alive but is not human. Not organic."
"Well then who did it?"
"I can smell…four people on your blanket."
He said before he inhaled deeply. "Four people…all familiar scents…."
"You think you can track 'em?"
He inhaled deeply again and looked at me. "I'm not a blood hound Jazz."
I deflated a little when he said that. I really hoped-
"Better bring that with you, in case I need to smell it again." He said as he bounced off the bed.
"Let's go!" He shouted as he made for the door. I scooped up Replenish and remotely opened the door only for him to dash out. "WHOA! HEY! MINTY SLOW DOWN!"
I shouted as I trotted to catch up to him. He had a look of pure determination on his face as he paused in front of the cafeteria and scented the air. He narrowed his eyes and growled as he stalked inside and over to the energon dispenser.
"They were here. Three minutes ago…" He said as he sniffed the air and the ground near the dispenser. Suddenly, his head jerked up, and his fur stood on end. "Those Bastards…" He growled lividly as his collar began to spit out static as he vocalized his feelings in his native tongue.
"Minty- "I said prepared to pick him up in case he threw a fit. Instead, he sprinted out the door at the back of the cafeteria. I ran after him, trying to keep up, but I lost him as soon as I got out into the hall. I didn't have to look far though. I heard Minty screaming in his native tongue right before I heard the startled and pained yells of someone else.
"Oh slag…"
I ran up the hall to the rec room where I saw Minty leap at a guy's face snarling in his native tongue. I rushed forward to pry him off of his face only for him to grab Minty by his scruff and yank him off with a snarl. Despite his face being bloody and scratched up, I could still recognize who it was.
Chris
I have him in my training class. Why would Minty attack him? My answer came in the form of him getting ready to drop kick Minty. Not on my watch!
"HEY!"
I shouted as I picked him up by his collar. "You drop kick that kitten, I will drop kick you so help me Primus!"
I barked at him. As a result, he dropped Minty. Thankfully the drop wasn't far, because Minty landed gracefully on his paws. Chris on the other servo, landed on his aft.
"Now what in the pit is goin' on in here?!"
My answer came in the form of Minty, who turned back to the group of bots sitting at a table behind Chris and growled at them.
"That fucking cat just went crazy!"
Chris spat lividly.
"It probably has rabies."
Tracks said disgustedly. This caused Minty to attack again. This time though, he went for Tracks. Minty was like a whirlwind of claws and teeth. Before I could stop him, he got under Track's armor making him scream and twitch madly.
"GET HIM OUT! GET OUT OF THERE YOU DISGUSTING FILTHY CREATURE!"
He roared as he slapped at different parts of his armor. Minty seemed unfazed though as he left Tracks and went after Sunstreaker next. He had the same reaction as Tracks, but this time I was prepared. When he emerged from Sunstreaker's armor I caught him before he could attack Sideswipe.
"MINTY! WHAT THE PIT IS WRONG WITH YA?!"
"THOSE. FILTHY. BASTARDS!"
He shrieked in English, pausing between the words to collect his breath. It was then that things began to add up. And something dawned on me…
"THEY'RE THE ONES THAT RIPPED UP YOUR BLANKET! THEY'RE THE ONES WHO IMPERSONATED YOU AND RUNED HER STUDIO! THEY GOT CELESTIAL KIDNAPPED!" Minty howled as he writhed in my arms. I looked at the man, and the three bots in front of me. Three of them, (much to my surprise with Tracks and Sunstreaker) were bleeding from the many small cuts and scrapes that Minty had inflicted. Three of them were scowling. None of them would look me in the optics.
"Is it true?"
I asked calmly, my voice devoid of any emotion. Again, none of them found the ability to look me in the face. I looked to Sideswipe, who looked way beyond guilty.
"Is it true?" I asked again, this time looking directly at Sideswipe. He in turn looked with frustration at his glaring twin, as Tracks and Chris turned to glare at him as well. Usually, when my voice is this devoid of emotion, mechs can tell that I'm not in a toying mood. Contrary to what many believe about me and special ops, I'm not the type to torture others to get intel. I prefer to talk to bots and see what I can get out of 'em first. Ironhide's always told me that it'd be faster if I just tortured them from the start. But I prefer not to go that route. Not when I can get the same intel in a less violent way.
That doesn't mean that I don't have my limits.
I stretched before I pulled one of my virus daggers from my subspace and imbedded it in the table in front of the three mechs and human. This got their attention.
"I'm going to ask you one more time." I said staring at Sideswipe pointedly.
"Then, I'm gonna flay your wires and lines with this dagger." I said as I sat Minty down on the table where he stayed sitting.
"And trust me. This virus is nasty. It's not going to offline you. Not at first. But it will hurt worse than anything you've ever experienced. It's a slow-moving virus that does slow but heavy damage to a bot's processor and frame. First it makes the victim purge their tanks, causing the frame to gradually overheat, thus making the processor glitch its subroutines in mixing the remaining energon within your system correctly. Thus, sending improperly mixed energon into your lines making your lines feel like they've got acid in them, all the while it tears your processor to shreds. Slowly and painfully. One small nick with this thing and you'll hate your life."
I said darkly as I loomed over the group.
"So, I'll ask one more time." I said leaning towards Sideswipe.
"Is. It. True?" I hissed. Sideswipe answered my question with quivering lip plates.
"I'm so sorry Jazz."
I sat back stunned. "I'm so so sorry!" Sideswipe said with anguish in his voice.
"Sideswipe you fragging trai-ACCK!"
Sunstreaker said as I leapt across the table at him, wrapping my servos around his throat.
"YOU SLAGGING SON OF A GLITCH!"
"Jazz! JAZZ!"
Someone barked behind me. But I don't really care. Not now that I know the truth!
"SAVE SOME FOR ME JAZZ!"
I heard Minty snarl somewhere near me. I heard Chris scream somewhere nearby before I felt myself being pulled back.
"JAZZ! LET GO!"
"NO!"
I snapped as I continued to squeeze Sunstreaker's neck cables. A few more moments and they're gonna pop…
"I. SAID. LET. GO!"
The voice ground out with effort as he pulled me again. It doesn't matter to me though!
"NEVER!"
I shouted as the person tried to yank me off of him again.
"Jazz! Enough."
Came the stern and downright angry reply from behind me as I was finally pulled off Sunstreaker. I watched as he got up coughing and gagging and I lunged back at him only to be held fast.
"Jazz control yourself!" Optimus said behind me as he forcefully re-adjusted his grasp on my collar strut.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! LET ME GO OPTIMUS!"
I shouted lividly as I tried to break free from his grasp.
"What is going on?" He asked, giving me a gentle yet firm shake. I watched as Jolt pulled Minty away from Chris who looked like he was ready to kill him.
"THOSE BASTARDS!" Minty yelled as Jolt carefully restrained him. This got Optimus' attention.
He looked between Minty and I and the others at the table.
"What is going on here?"
"That thing attacked me!" Chris spat, trying to pin all of the blame on Minty.
"ONLY BECAUSE YOU SORELY DESRVED IT YOU MOTHERFUCKING SHIT EATING BASTARDS!"
He roared as he tried to leap from Jolt's arms. "Minty, please calm down. And watch your language." Optimus said, with the second phrase sounding more like an afterthought. He looked to the group at the table with a frown. "Minty wouldn't attack unless he had good reason to…Jazz you are not typically the violent type either." He said to the room at large. But Minty and I caught the underlying meaning of his statement. He wanted to know why we attacked them. He set me down on the floor but kept a firm grasp on my collar. He looked at me and I looked back at him before I looked at Sideswipe who, for once looked guilty for what he'd done.
"Why don't you ask Sideswipe?" I said emotionlessly. His helm immediately snapped over to him, and Sideswipe shuddered as he noticed that everyone in the room was looking at him. Usually, he didn't mind speaking in front of a crowd about what he'd done. Usually, if he knew he was busted, he owned up to his pranks when the officers asked. But he never really seemed to mind because it usually got some people on base to laugh. But not now. Not today. This crowd didn't gather to laugh along with him about a prank he pulled. This crowd gathered because we were fighting, something that the ever-growing crowd of people rarely got to see outside of training and the battle field. Especially since it was Minty and I that started it. That made things way more interesting.
Sideswipe looked at Prime guiltily. Before he lowered his helm. "I'm sorry." He whimpered.
"What did you do?" Optimus asked, concern and anger lacing his voice as I think the realization began to hit him.
"I…I- "
"SPIT IT OUT SIDESWIPE!" Ironhide barked, making him jump before looking up at us, at the room at large. He opened his mouth, but sound wouldn't come out.
"Those three…those three bastards got Celeste kidnapped! Minty said from Jolt's grasp. Optimus looked at him before looking back at the table which had become the focus of the whole base.
"Is this true?" He asked. Much to my surprise Tracks answered him. "No, it is not true!"
Both Minty and I tried to break free when he said that. "She got kidnapped because the Decepticons wanted her for something. Primus only knows what!" Tracks spat making me even angrier.
"Then why, is your scent, along with Sunstreaker's, Sideswipe's, and Chris's on my ripped blanket?"
"I have no idea of what you are talking about."
Tracks said. "Listen you pompous aft- "I snapped as I tried to lunge at him, but Prime held me in place. "Jazz, do you have the blanket with you now?"
"Yeah." I said as I pulled it out of my subspace. Prime took it from me and gave it to Ratchet. "This is preposterous! You can't prove that we ripped up that…that thing." Tracks spat.
"Your scent is on it. You can't fake that!" Minty snarled.
"Indeed." Ratchet said as he looked closer at the blanket. "There are trace amounts of DNA belonging to one Christopher Jones."
"So, what?" Chris said hotly. "These traces are new. As in they are less than 7 days old."
"And I know I didn't give you access to my quarters. And that blanket hasn't left my quarters in at least three weeks." I growled.
"I am also picking up small amounts of Chemical Guys Project J97 Paste Wax."
"So, what? Lots of you guys use wax!"
Chris said exasperatedly. Ratchet looked up from the blanket and scowled.
"While most if not all of us do indeed use wax, I can only recall of four mechs who use that specific brand." He said while narrowing his optics at Tracks, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe. "Most notably because of its quality, and high price."
"So, it's expensive! Big deal! None of the stuff you guys use is cheap!"
Chris said still trying to defend himself and the others. Ratchet raised an optic ridge at what Chris said. "It's 999-dollar wax. I can assure you that neither I nor anybot else outside of Mirage, Tracks, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker use wax that expensive. So, seeing that Minty did not attack Mirage, I suggest that you all begin to tell the truth." He growled.
The four looked uncomfortable before Tracks snapped. "OKAY WE DID IT! ALRIGHT?!"
"Why?" Optimus asked.
"Because that flesh bag needs to stick to her own species! That's why!" He spat getting angrier.
"Who the frag does she think she is?! Courting one of our own!" Sunstreaker snarled.
It was Chris who spoke next.
"That freak needed to get it through her head that what she was doing was wrong."
"So, you hit on her." I chuckled derisively. "You flirted with her, you destroyed her studio, and when that wasn't enough, you decided to impersonate me and make her miserable."
I laughed sarcastically as the four glared at me. "Do you have any idea, how much its gonna hurt when I kill you? Do you?"
"Jazz-"
"NO! No Optimus! I'm not making an idol threat here! I am making a fragging promise that the next time I catch those four alone they will not live long enough to regret what they did!"
"WE THOUGHT YOU'D BE HAPPY JAZZ!"
Sunstreaker snapped.
"WHY IN THE PIT WOULD HER GETTING KIDNAPPED BY THE DECEPTICONS MAKE ME HAPPY?!"
"NOT HER GETTING KIDNAPPED!" He shouted exasperatedly.
"We've all seen you with Flareup." He said.
"You two are perfect for each other!" Sideswipe added bringing a disgusted snort from Flareup herself.
"There is no way in the pit that I would go out with Jazz."
"Why not? You two fragging hugged when we got here! And you two snuck off to train and do patrols!"
"That's for a different reason!" I barked.
"Jazz and I are related!" She stated firmly.
"WHAT?!" Just about everyone in room shouted. Well save for Optimus, Elita, Ironhide, Ratchet, Arcee, and Chromia that is.
"He saved my aft back in the battle for Polyhex." She said.
"No fragging way you two are related!" Sideswipe said.
Flareup cocked her helm to the side and narrowed her optics at him. "Our carriers are spark sisters. We share the same grand-sire and grand-carrier. His family stayed in Polyhex and mine moved to Iacon. We only met a few times when we were sparklings." She said irritably before continuing.
"Then during the battle for Polyhex, when I still worked search and rescue he pulled me out of the way of falling rubble. We recognized each other a little, and later we compared memory files and confirmed what we thought." She said matter of a factly. The room was silent for a few moments before Tracks spoke again.
"Either way…it was still for your own good Jazz." Several people in the room groaned and I lunged at him again only for Optimus to hold me back once more. Funny how no one is restraining the real monsters in the room…
"Think about it! No sparkbreak over her when she eventually offlines." Sunstreaker said.
"Or when she eventually cheats on you." Tracks added. I nearly broke free from Prime when he said that.
"Celestial would never cheat on me!"
"She's a human Jazz! She's not driven by love! She's driven by the desire to procreate!" He said making several of the humans in the room glare at him and give indignant shouts.
"Trust us. It was for your own good."
I was about to say something, I could hear Optimus begin to say something, but someone stopped us all with what he said.
"For his own good?" We all looked to the door where Bluestreak stood…well, rather, leaned given that one of his wings was still healing in a splint.
"This wasn't for Jazz's own good. This was for you guys. You did this to make yourselves feel better!" Bluestreak said angrily as he limped into the room with his crutches.
"Bluestreak, please go back to the Medbay. You need to- "
"Let him speak Ratchet." Prime said gravely.
"Blue, that's not true…" Sideswipe said. His voice betrayed him though. He didn't even believe in what he said.
"Really? So, it was for Jazz's own good that a civilian got kidnapped?"
"No! Blue- "
"Well then who's own good was it for?" He asked bitterly. "Who's own good was it for, when you decided to talk some of the recruits here," He said gesturing to some of the people in the room with a crutch. "Into flirting with Celeste, when you know she only had optics for Jazz?"
"Blue- "Sideswipe said again, but Bluestreak cut him off.
"Who's own good was it for, when you destroyed the work of a civilian? Which might I add is especially low for you Sunstreaker considering you used to be an artist." He asked
"We didn't destroy her work!" Chris shouted.
"No, you conveniently left all of the work related to people on base untouched. Her other work, her passion is what you ruined. Do you realize how long and hard she worked on all of that stuff?" He asked. He continued without receiving an answer.
"Months. It took her months to draw up those designs, months to cut and sew, even hand sewing the seams of her creations. And within a few moments you ruined it all." Bluestreak hissed.
"Fun fact…Celestial got invited to New York's fashion week this fall. Fashion week is one of the biggest events for designers like her. Do you have any idea what that event could do for her career?" He paused. "I didn't see the form, but if she was invited to show a fall line, you four ensured that she wouldn't be able to." He said furiously.
"None of that matters!" Chris said earning a glare fit to kill a boulder from Bluestreak.
"Right. None of that matters because it was for Jazz's own good, right?"
"HE'S BETTER OFF WITHOUT HER!" Tracks shouted before continuing. "THAT CHEATING SLAGGING GLITCH- "
"DON'T YOU FRAGGING DARE!" Bluestreak roared.
"Don't you DARE insult her like that!" He continued. "It wasn't bad enough for the four of you to ruin her work, you had to go and ruin her reputation too! Who was that for huh?!"
He snapped as he limped closer to them. "Who's own good was it for when you ruined an innocent civilian's reputation among her friends and allies? It sure as pit wasn't for Jazz! He trusts her just like he trusted all of you!"
"Bluestreak you don't understand!" Sunstreaker growled.
"I don't understand!" He barked back. "I don't understand how the four of you thought it was for Jazz's best interest to make someone that he loves, someone that he truly cares about miserable! I really fragging don't get it!" He snapped. "I know that she pulled a lot of pranks on you and Sideswipe, Sunstreaker. But this is a new kind of low even for you two!" He spat.
"So, tell me," Bluestreak growled lividly, "Was it for Jazz's best interest to make Celestial miserable? Was it in his best interest for her to be sparkbroken? So much so that she called me, a friend to drive her to her parents' grave so that she could lament and wonder what she had done wrong?" The room was painfully quiet after he said that.
"H…Her parents…are dead?" Sideswipe choked out.
"Why in the pit do you think she lived with her uncle?" I growled at him before Bluestreak spoke again.
"Was it in Jazz's best interest, for me, your friend, your ally to get attacked trying to protect her?"
"No…" Sideswipe said as a look of anguish came to his face.
"Do any of you have a clue how much I hurt right now? Not Physically. Emotionally." He hissed. "I had to fight two Decepticons and try to protect her! Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to know that I failed?!" He howled as a few tears came to his optics. "It's not the injuries that hurt the most. I'll eventually heal from these in a few months." He paused as he gestured to his broken wing, damaged leg, and his other injuries. "It's the face she made as they took her away, the words she said as they escaped that hurt me the most!" He said brokenly. "I am haunted by that memory every time I close my optics!" He snarled. "And then you…you four have the nerve to stand here and try to say that it was for Jazz. That what you did was justified, and that you did it all for him!" He said disgustedly.
"A real friend wouldn't do that. Jazz and Minty are right. You are the ones to blame. You got her kidnapped!"
"WE. DID. NOT." Tracks screamed.
"YES, YOU FUCKING DID!" Bluestreak screamed back. "IF YOU FOUR HAD MINDED YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE CELESTIAL MISERABLE, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE HER LIKE SOMEONE ELSE, AND INSTEAD OF RUINING HER LIFE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE RIGHT NOW!" He yelled.
"We wouldn't be standing here, arguing. I wouldn't have injuries, and Jazz and Minty wouldn't be planning your demise!" Bluestreak said as he ticked his points off on his fingers. "And they should be planning your demise!" He spat.
"And I should be helping them! Celestial was my friend. She was more than that- "
"SEE!"
"SHUT THE FRAG UP TRACKS!" Bluestreak snapped furiously as he lashed out and hit him in the helm with one of his crutches. Tracks cried out in pain and fell to the floor before scrambling to get back up. "Celestial was my therapist." He hissed at him. "You all get so tired of me talking. Any of you notice lately that I haven't been talking a whole awful lot?" We all stood stunned at what he said. Come to think of it…he hasn't rambled a lot lately… "Have any of you stopped to consider why? Or why I ramble in the first place?" He asked bitterly before continuing. "It's because I'm one of the only survivors of the fall of Praxis. Not only that, but I'm also a sniper." He said darkly.
"None of you have any idea the kind of pressure I'm under. Jazz, Hound, Bee, Mirage and I are all in a class of our own because we see and hear things that most of you never have to. We see and hear it all. We remember it all." He said. "Celeste let me confide in her. She tried to use hypnotism on me so that I could repress some of those memories and it worked." He said before he wiped a few stray tears away.
"She was my friend. She was a lot of your friends!" He said to the room at large, taking a moment to glare at some of the soldiers, the ones I imagine who treated her wrong. "You should all be insanely disappointed in yourselves if you let those four trick you into helping them, or if you believed that Celestial, a femme who cared enough about you to fix your clothes, and personal items would ever do something to hurt Jazz on purpose!" He scolded. I couldn't help but notice some of the irritated and uncaring glares he got. But I also saw an even greater number of them hanging their heads, crying in shame and grieving over her loss and what Bluestreak had said.
"And as for you four, I agree with Jazz and Minty. While I'm not threatening or promising to kill you the first chance I get, I will promise you this; If we're on the battle field and I see a Decepticon coming for your aft, you're on your own. I'm not sniping a con for any of you anymore. Even if it's to save your life. You don't deserve to be saved because to me, you're worse than any Decepticon you may encounter." Bluestreak said as he turned.
"That's not true…" Sideswipe weakly protested. "Yes, it is." He said as he turned towards the four. "The Decepticons will kill a human because they don't value life. You four, tried to lead Celestial astray, ruined her work, ruined her reputation with an entire base, and tricked her into thinking the one person she loves more than anything else in the universe hated her, causing her to ask a friend, who happens to be a friend and an ally of yours to take her for a drive resulting with her getting kidnapped and said friend nearly dying while trying to save her." He said while shaking his helm and giving them a dark and disgusted look. "An Autobot wouldn't do that. A Decepticon would." He said as he began to limp away before turning back to look at the twins, Tracks and Chris as well as the whole room. "If a Decepticon decided to torture a human, the human would probably die from the initial pain. But what you four did to her puts you in a class all your own. Your victim lived through the torture, but she wished that she hadn't." He said shaking his helm one more time before walking out the door and saying "If you ask me, you four are the real monsters we should be hunting. Not the Decepticons. And you better hope that we find Celestial, and that we don't decide to hunt you after we get her back."
A/N: Hey all! If you're wondering where I've been, please see the first A/N! As for school...I intend to graduate this year. It wont be easy, but I know that I have a lot of you standing behind me and that means a lot! NOW...What did you think of the chapter? I like it. I really wanted to capture the rage and the hurt here, and I feel that I did that. What do you guys think about the four who shall not be named? What do you think the Decepticons want with Celestial? PLEASE! Please let me know what you think by reviewing. I know I probably don't deserve a lot for not posting in so long, but I'd love to hear from you guys!
Bonus cookie for the person who guess right about what the Decepticons want Celestial for! And that cookie can be redeemed for one answer to any question about the story! And I mean any question! Or I guess if spoilers aren't your thing, name your price...within reason of course and we'll go from there! But the answer has to be right, or super duper close!
For those of you looking for a Dimensional Update, its coming. This was actually supposed to be posted after Dimensional since I finished that chapter first, but since you both waited too damn long in my opinion, I decided I'd post both chapters at the same time or within 48 hours of each other. So as soon as I'm done editing that, which wont be long mind you, I'll post it!
ANYWHOO! As usual, I write too long of A/N's. Sorry! I hope to hear from you all in the reviews! Please Follow, Favorite, and most of all, PLEASE REVIEW! I cant wait to read what you guys have been up to, and about what you thought about the new chapter!
ALSO THANKS TO WHOEVER REVIEWS FIRST BECAUSE YOU'LL BE MY 75TH REVIEW FOR THIS STORY! AND OF COURSE THANKS TO ALL WHO COME AFTER IT! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!
CLYL! YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!