Part 21
"That was quite a show you put on last night," Roadbuster greeted Jazz, early the following cycle. The whole chamber was buzzing with excitement and nerves, mechs and femmes were rushing everywhere as they packed up their meagre belongings, but the Wrecker seemed determined to talk to him.
"I just hope it was enough," Jazz said as he unspaced an energon ration, and pulled the other mech aside, so that they weren't barged out of the way. "These 'bots have lived in fear for too long, in cycle or so they'll be free, but I doubt many of them can remember what that means, and they need to, it'll get them through the worst of times."
"Do you think it will be that hard to get them out of here?" Roadbuster had more experience, that was a given, but Jazz didn't like how flippant he sounded.
"It'll only take one Seeker to use his optics properly, and you'll have a real fight on your hands," Jazz said seriously, "but more than that, these 'bots will have huge changes in their lives to adjust to, and that won't be easy either."
"So you thought you'd show them a good time?"
"I didn't plan it, it just happened, but yeah. If it helps them deal with what's ahead in some small way then I'm happy, but it must be about time to get the real show going, right?"
"Whirl's ready to go when you are." Roadbuster's tone almost passed as friendly. "Keep an optic on that mech, he's got a few bolts loose in my opinion."
"He should fit in with my lot just fine then," Jazz said cheerfully as he moved along, but his high-spirits took a nose-dive only a few astro-seconds later, when he saw Wheeljack moving towards him, and more importantly away from Whirl.
"You're not coming with us, are you?" he asked. He already new the answer, but he hoped he was wrong.
Wheeljack shook his head. "I have to go my own way on this one."
Jazz was disappointed, and he couldn't hide it. It was selfish he knew, for as long as they had been working together he had seen Wheeljack as something of a lucky charm, and he didn't like the idea of finishing a mission without the engineer for that and other, more personal, reasons. "Is there any way I can change your processor?" he asked hopefully.
"Don't ask me that Jazz," Wheeljack said sternly. "I've stood at your shoulder through everything, I've helped you all I can, and I will do again once we're out of here, but I need to see these mechs and femmes get out of here with my own optics."
Jazz was tempted to remind the engineer who his commander was, but although he managed to stop himself Wheeljack seemed to read his thoughts. "How dare you?" he snarled. "I've given you everything I had to give, done all you've asked. I'd give you my spark if I thought for a moment that you wanted it."
The engineer was close to shouting by this time, and Jazz couldn't help noticing that nearly every 'bot in the area had stopped what they were doing to watch, but what made his circuits burn was Roadbuster, who was stood off to one side and smirking. "This is because of him."
"I thought you knew me," Wheeljack raged, "But I guess that you wouldn't think that I might ask for something for myself because I never have before. This isn't about him, or you for once, but me. I need to do this because when Kaon fell there was nothing I could do but mourn."
Jazz flinched at the agony in Wheeljack's tone. He remembered the pain of his own loses far too well, and he felt awful for not considering how Wheeljack had been through the same thing. Wheeljack stormed off before he could think of anything to say.
With a heavy spark Jazz forced himself to keep walking. He wanted to turn and run after Wheeljack, to beg him for forgiveness, but he was sure that the engineer would be too furious to listen to him, and he had no idea how to even begin apologising. Thankfully none of the others said anything as he led them off. Mirage was the only one of them that even looked at him.
"Do you want to do this with or without trouble?" Whirl asked, once they were clear of the living chamber.
"Preferably without," Jazz answered, much to the disappointment of the twins, and Whirl himself unless Jazz was reading him wrong, but the mech's facial expression didn't change.
"I was looking forward to saying goodbye," Whirl admitted after a moment. "But I guess a firework show is a good way to do it. Do you have a scout?"
"Technically I have two, both have their own specialities. Mirage, you're up. Hound, scanners."
Mirage strode forward, and Whirl shot him a smile. "Wheeljack told me that you haven't been with the unit long," he said conversationally.
"A little over a vorn now," Mirage said politely. "They rescued me when Crystal City fell, I realised that the life I had known was gone, so I asked Jazz for a chance to help him. It was probably one of the best decisions that I've ever made."
"Impactor has asked me and Broadside to join the Wreckers. He says that surviving for so long under an occupied city, and managing to cause the 'Cons more than a few problems without them even realising we're here are ample qualifications, but the idea of working with mechs I barely know scares me. It's been vorns since I met someone new."
"I had a sheltered life before I joined up. My creators provided everything I ever needed, and rarely let me out of their sight, especially after one of their friends told them that I'd been fooling around with a gladiator from the Vos arena."
Whirl laughed. "How the other half live," he muttered. "Do you know where he is now?"
"About twenty paces behind us," Mirage said with a smirk. As he'd expected Whirl almost swallowed his vocaliser in surprise. He'd seen the sideways glances that many of the Kaon 'bots had been giving the twins, but he couldn't blame them. "I honestly believe that fate brought us back together once my creators were gone, I doubt I would have made it through my loses without them."
Whirl looked puzzled; he was obviously trying to work out which them Mirage was talking about, and Mirage smiled to himself. He was rather enjoying his chat with Whirl, it was interesting to meet someone so uncultured.
"This is my favourite part," Whirl announced suddenly. "The tunnel ahead of us is blocked, and we have to go up, just for half a breem or so I get to see the sky."
"You'll be getting to see a lot more of it soon," Mirage reminded him.
"I know," Whirl said regretfully, "but then I won't appreciate it as much."
He's not scared of the freedom that he's about to regain, Mirage realised, he'd just concerned that he won't enjoy it. How strange... and refreshing to meet someone so aware of the simple things that make life worthwhile.
Cautiously the two mechs pushed up the heavy service hatch, and peered out. There was no one in sight, and Mirage was surprised to see that it was still dark. He had his chronometer, knew it was working, but time had become meaningless in the tunnels. He wondered if Whirl was even aware of how long he had lived there.
Whirl went first, stretching and gazing up at the stars for a moment before he shook himself, and reached down to pull Mirage up. "Keep low," he instructed. "Our way back down is at the top of that rise, and the city starts just below it." They crept up the small incline, and Jazz joined them at the top a few moments later. "There's our target," Whirl pointed out a slim tower with a domed top. "The energon well is directly below it."
"I remember," Jazz nodded. "It's been a long time, but it doesn't look like it's changed much. Apart from that monstrosity," he pointed out a building that dominated the skyline, and that he knew must be the Decepticon Headquarters.
"One of my favourite bars is somewhere under it," Whirl lamented. "I used to dream that I'd get to blow it up one cycle, and then I'd rebuild the old place."
"I'll help you," Jazz offered genuinely, "but it's not our target this time. Ready?"
"Always," Whirl grinned, and they crawled off to the hatch that would take them back down into the tunnel. Jazz gestured for Sideswipe and Hound to wait for them there to keep their escape route clear. Mirage activated his invisibility cloak, and moved ahead, only waiting for them at intersections. Sunstreaker kept a few paces behind Jazz and Whirl as they moved on.
"That's weird," Whirl muttered, as he stared at the place where Mirage had been.
"It takes some getting used to," Jazz admitted. "I think it still freaks Wheeljack out. 'Jack's probably the smartest mech I know, but he can't figure out how it works, and that bugs him. It's useful though."
"I bet," Whirl muttered, "just imagine all the places you could get into if no one could see you."
"He can't hide from everyone," Jazz tapped his visor. "I can see him, Hound's scanners can pick him up, and we're still testing Decepticons to find out which of them can track him, but there aren't many," he smiled suddenly, "Primus knows what Mirage gets up to though, I know for a fact that he likes to watch."
Whirl stifled a laugh. "I hope he wasn't watching Broad and I last night."
"Who knows?" Jazz teased him. "Was it worth watching?"
"It was worth missing out on the recharge for," Whirl grinned, "but as to the other I have no idea. Precious little of what we've had these vorns is private, we've guarded our time together as best we could."
"I can understand that," Jazz nodded. He had after all taken the same route with Wheeljack. "Do you love him?" he asked curiously.
"With all that I am," came the honest answer. "I only hope that our love will survive out in the world. With so many new faces out there to catch his optics he may not want to look at mine anymore."
"The two of you have been through so much together that I doubt a pretty face would turn his head," Jazz assured him, "and you can take it from me that there are few enough good mechs out there."
Whirl seemed satisfied with Jazz's words of comfort, and looked around. "We're almost there," he said quietly.
"There are two guards ahead of us," Mirage's disembodied voice reported in a hushed tone.
"My turn?" Sunstreaker asked. Jazz nodded, and the golden twin extended a hand, which Mirage's invisible one took to lead him off.
For a moment there was silence, then a dull thud, a muffled cry that was cut off quickly, and a blue hand appeared around the corner to beckon them onwards. Jazz didn't even give the fallen Decepticons a glance as he strode past them. He had no time for mechs that could do no harm. It was almost time for the Kaon mechs to make their escape, and without his diversion he was sure that they would be caught.
The tunnel widened out to become a small chamber. Four thick pipes ran through the room carrying energon to the reserve above them. Jazz unspaced a small supply of explosives, and passed them around. They set the charges on their commander's mark, and Jazz grinned mischievously. "Run," he ordered.
They ran with Mirage a little ahead, and Sunstreaker at the rear. They collected Sideswipe and Hound at the hatch, and were relived to find their escape route clear. The ground shook violently just after they dropped down into the second tunnel.
"Hound!" Jazz barked, and the green mech took the lead without further instruction. For a while he kept them on the path back to the large chamber, then he veered off. There was a rumble ahead, the ceiling fell in, but Hound didn't slow down. As they reached the gap they all became aware of the familiar hum of Steelhaven's engines.
Broadside grinned down at them, and Hound boosted each of them up to catch hold of his strong hands and be pulled clear, until only Sideswipe remained. The red twin heaved Hound up as high as he could, and as Broadside hauled him out the Sideswipe activated his jet-pack and flew to safety.
Steelhaven was waiting for them. Broadside and Whirl were the last to board and they hung back as she rose back into the air. The larger mech held the smaller close to him as they watched the fire burn in the centre of the city.
They could see Seekers swarming around the blaze; Some were using chemicals to extinguish the flames, others blasted down nearby buildings so that the fire couldn't spread to them.
Jazz looked around Steelhaven's hold to see many of the other Kaon 'bots were also watching the scene below them, some looked solemn, others cheerful, most appeared relieved. Their ordeal was over, and Jazz was proud to have been able to help them, but he couldn't relax. His mission was almost done, but he wondered if the hardest part of it for him would be his return to Nova Cronum.
A.N: the response to the last couple of chapters has been amazing, I'm so thrilled that you're enjoying this story. Thank you so much, take care all, FB.