Chapter 20

Jinx had never felt so out of place her entire life.

The autobots weren't as hostile as she expected, though most of them still watched her carefully like they were waiting for her to creep into their quarters and steal their prized possessions. Jinx didn't even bother telling them that she didn't want anything they had, she knew it would be pointless. She tried her best to ignore them as she wandered her way through the base.

She was being shooed away from the wing of the base reserved for 'humans' when she realized she had no fragging idea of where she was going. Stopping in the middle of the hall way, she crossed her arms and huffed irritably at the mech that was still trying to crowd her away. "What the pit is your problem?"

"What do you think, thief?!" He snapped, just as aggravated. "Who said you could run around base?"

"Why do you need to know?" Jinx narrowed her yellow optics at him.

"You do realize how close you are to the brig, don't you?"

"Mech," Jinx glared, "don't even go there."

He scoffed, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for the rec room," She said shortly.

"Don't get an attitude with me-"

"Listen here, mech! You started harassing me first!" Jinx bristled, spark pulsing with anger. All she wanted was to get to the fragging rec room so she could refuel, then go hang out by the med bay until Ratchet unlocked the doors again. She didn't need this mech treating her like she was some desperate thief hunting her way through their base.

Wait, She thought suddenly, thats not too far from the truth.

He was visibly shocked for a moment or two, like he couldn't wrap his processor around the fact she wasn't stepping down. Jinx held her ground. He snapped back to attention and started towards her a step-

"Approaching her with hostile intentions would be a poor choice, mech." A calm voice called from the shadows. Tensing, Jinx tilted her head just enough to see who it was, being careful to keep the mech in her sight as she did so. She nearly hit the floor when she spotted the sleek white armor of Paradox.

"Paradox," The autobot said slowly, "are you threatening me?"

"No," Paradox watched him with calm pale optics.

"Funny, it sounded like it."

"I'm not threatening you, mech, but it would be unwise to intimidate someone Backlash regards so highly," Paradox's attention shifted to Jinx, and she was once again amazed by how much she was like Backlash. Completely calm, quiet. "If he fought and offlined Lockdown to keep her safe...imagine how he would see you for approaching her like this?"

The mech hesitated. His eyes brightened with genuine fear for a moment before he cleared it away with a shake of his head. "Stay away from the humans, and far away from our armory." With one last, cautious look at Paradox, he stomped away.

Jinx huffed out a heavy vent of air, "Thanks for saving my aft-" She blinked when she saw the femme was still staring at her. "What."

"From the way Demona spoke, I didn't expect you to leave the med bay."

Jinx straightened, making a face as she crossed her arms. "I didn't want to leave. I was practically booted out."

"So they left you to wander."

"Basically." Jinx hesitated, eying the femme. "you wouldn't happen to now where the rec room is, would you?"

"This way," Paradox said, "I will walk with you." The sleek femme was already turning away.

Jinx hurried after her, unsure if she should be relieved for having the company or cautious because she was walking with one of the deadliest femmes ever sparked. Jinx decided to simply watch the femme, and stay out of reach.

Paradox moved smoothly. For a femme that had been taken a part and put back together so many times, she was still as silent and predatory as anything Jinx had ever seen. It was unnerving, and the silence that filled the air around them was heavy. Jinx hated the silence, but she wasn't about to risk irritating the femme-

"You're quiet, Jinx." Paradox paused, glancing over her shoulder at her, "and you're falling behind."

"Uh...yeah," Jinx quickened her steps, "Sorry. I was just...uh...admiring the base. Yeah." Paradox arched an optic ridge at her. Jinx, perhaps a little too late, scanned the hall way and saw that it was bare and dusty. One of the lights above flickered ominously, and while they stood there another went out. Jinx vented quietly in irritation, glaring up at the one still flickering.

"You are uncomfortable around me."

Jinx's attention snapped back to the femme. She said slowly, "Its that obvious, huh?"

"You are being extremely careful not to get too close," Paradox observed, "and you are unusually quiet." A pause as Paradox's pale optics narrowed with understanding. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Maybe," Jinx said. Still, she chanced stepping closer. "Theres legends about you, and not all of them are good."

"So I've heard." Paradox studied her a minute longer before turning back to continue down the hall. "Don't be afraid of me, Jinx. Its been many years since I last shed energon."

Jinx trotted after her, studying the femme much more closely now. "So," She began, "you're the ancestor." She frowned when she caught the femme glancing over her shoulder at her. "I mean, you're the one Backlash gets it from."

"Thats what everyone seems to think."

Sensing that the femme was deep in thought, Jinx prodded, "What do you think."

"I believe Backlash takes after his creator."

"Demona?"

"Yes," Paradox's voice softened, "he is just like his mother."

Jinx fell into step beside her when they turned down a different hall way, one she hadn't seen yet. Looking around curiously, Jinx agreed, "He has her optics."

"And her gentle spark," Paradox made another turn. A few autobots stood in the hallway. All talk ceased as every optic turned towards them. Jinx stared right back at them, daring them to say something. Paradox ignored them easily, like she was used to all the attention. Jinx trotted closer to her, trusting the femme more than any of the mechs watching her like she was a sworn enemy.

Jinx's optics softened when the femme's words caught up with her. "You see it too, then." Jinx knew there was something sweet buried deep inside the mech's carefully guarded spark.

"I do." Paradox said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "All of Demona's creations have gentle sparks, but they all choose to hide it in different ways. Backlash does so with his isolation."

Jinx paused in the hall when a thought struck her. "Hey, Paradox?" Jinx tested the designation carefully, like it was a dangerous object. She didn't want to offend or anger this femme, and held her breath until the older femme turned her head slightly in acknowledgment in a manner similar to Backlash. "Do you know who Lotus is?"

A few minutes of silence stretched between them. Paradox offered her nothing as they continued the long walk through the autobot base. Jinx knew immediately that she knew exactly who Lotus was. Jinx needed to know. The mystery of Backlash kept nagging at her processor and spark, and she knew that Lotus was somehow at the center of it.

"I don't know much of Lotus," Paradox finally caved, "I'd known her only for a short time before she was offlined."

Jinx nearly tripped over her own feet. Her yellow optics widened, "You knew her?"

A subtle nod. "I wouldn't say 'know'. I met her on the day of her offlining."

Jinx tilted her head at that, softening her voice, "So you know what happened to her."

"I should. I was present."

Jinx huffed quietly, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Paradox stopped. Jinx nearly ran smack into her back. Sputtering, Jinx immediately hopped back out of beating-range in case she had crossed a line. Paradox raised a hand and she nearly cowered, memories of Lockdown's punishment still fresh on her processor. Instead, the Reaper motioned towards a door way straight ahead. Calmly, Paradox said, "There is the rec room. You will find fresh energon inside."

Jinx eyed her carefully, body strained with fear and anticipation. Slowly, she moved towards the doorway, "Lemme guess. You're gonna say that Backlash will tell me all about it when he's ready?"

"He will."

"One more question," Jinx raised a finger for emphasis. Paradox turned her pale optics unto her, nearly freezing her to the spot with their intensity. Rumor after rumor began to file through Jinx's processor as she analyzed the situation. The Reaper was famous for her sparkless slaughtering, her dead-calm in any situation...like now. Jinx just barely remembered how to speak. "How are you related to Backlash?"

The unnerving intensity of Paradox's gaze gave way to a soft warmth. Jinx blinked owlishly at the sudden change. Before she could ask, Paradox said, "Demona is my creation, youngling."

Jinx nearly hit the floor. Staring with round optics, she could hardly do anything but watch, dumbfounded, as the femme turned and started back down the hall. After a few minutes Jinx turned her full attention to the rec room. After poking her head inside to scan the room.

The rec room was divided, the half closest to her having shelves stacked with different grades of energon. Looking at them made her stomach rumble noisily. Swatting at herself, she vented in irritation. Just grab one and go back to the med bay.

Jinx entered the room, going directly to the stacked cubes. She picked through the different grades until she found a mild high grade. Stuffing a cube into the crook of her arm, she paused to eye the others. Her instincts told her to take more. She didn't really know when she'd get the chance to collect fresh energon again, and there was just so much here. Jinx was positive that she'd never seen so much energon in one place before. Unprotected and practically screaming to be picked up.

As ridiculous as the idea of stealing autobot energon was, Jinx could still clearly remember all the times she had gone without nourishment in the past. Starving was a slow sort of torture, and she wasn't willing to put herself through it again. Not when there was a stock pile right here.

Jinx's fingers twitched towards the energon. She could stuff another three or four under her arms, and-

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

Jinx nearly dropped the cube she already had. Turning sharply on her heel, she found herself facing the other side of the room where a couple of mechs were standing. Her spark tightened, past experiences telling her that she'd be in for one pit of a beating. Her body tensed to escape, and she almost moved for the exit.

Then she realized that one of the mechs was Prowl. Well. He couldn't catch me even if he had a jet pack welded to his aft. The other mech looked like another officer of some sort. He regarded her with a calm curiosity, but he seemed guarded like he was expecting a confrontation. Prowl was just Prowl, stiff and stern, with about as much personality as a rock.

Jinx raised her optic ridges at them when Prowl cleared his throat. "Whats it look like I'm doing?"

"Eying our energon stores," The second mech spoke up smoothly. His voice was deeper than Prowl's, but rougher. There was a commanding tone to it, "state your business here, thief."

Jinx stared at him, giving him her best crazy look, "Getting energon." She shifted her cube to her hand and showed it to them. Prowl's optics never left her face.

"Who authorized you to wander the base unguarded?" He asked.

Jinx huffed. First, she was practically kicked out of the med bay and away from Backlash. Then she had the most awkward confrontation with his-whats the term...? his grandma. Paradox was an interesting character and packed full of secrets, Jinx knew, but the femme still frightened her. Then, when she finally got to the energon, she was interrupted from her scheming by these two.

Leave it to Prowl to make a bad day worse.

"You were asked a question. Answer it." The second mech said. Jinx's optics snapped back to him, narrowing into slits. She decided immediately that she didn't like this one, especially since he was nearly twice Prowl's size and four times as intimidating. The fact that he was staring at her like she was a sparkling-murdering life-sucking decepticon didn't help, either.

Jinx never thought she'd say it, but pits she missed the moon right now. There was no one looking at her like a crook there. No one that mattered, anyway. Jinx shrugged at the two, "Ratchet did. So Did Backlash. And Paradox."

They blinked. Prowl was the first to recover, narrowing his optics at her. "Backlash was online? I was told that the damage he received from Lockdown was nearly fatal."

Again, Jinx shrugged. "Well, pits. He survived a massive explosion that completely blew the war ship to pieces on the moon. Woke up as soon as I found him in the wreckage. It didn't really surprise me."

"And how was he?"

"Tired." Jinx eyed him curiously now. Prowl wasn't one to be concerned about anyone, or, at least, not the one she knew. She had gotten the feeling on the moon that the air between him and Backlash's family was strained. They accepted each other, but were far from seeing one another as friends. Why he was pushing for information on Backlash was a mystery to her. "He seemed stable enough, though."

The larger of the two folded his hands behind his back, "So the youngling is online now."

"No." Jinx scowled, "thats why I'm out here. They all kicked me out of the med bay so they could begin reconstruction on his frame."

The taller mech regarded her carefully, then lowered his optics to Prowl when the black and white mech started mouthing off again. "Not a wise decision on their part."

Jinx huffed, crossing her arms over her energon. "Don't be rude."

"I wouldn't call it being rude."

"Then what the pit would you call it?"

"Being distrustful." Prowl motioned towards the energon, "did they send you to refuel?"

"Yes," Jinx said slowly, "and I'm starving. So if you could please go run back to your office or whatever and let me refuel in peace-"

"That is hardly acceptable," The other rumbled, "a thief of your rank should not be able to move without an escort, never mind parade the halls and rifle through our energon stores."

"Backlash trusts me," Jinx pointed out.

"Backlash has no voice here. He is not a registered autobot, so he holds no rank and no privileges on base perimeters. Who he trusts or does not trust is irrevelant."

Jinx nearly hit the roof. She stared at the mech in open shock, her processor stuttering to understand what he'd just said. Even Prowl glanced at the taller mech uncertainly. "His family is completely made up of autobots!"

"Not as I understand it."

"And how exactly do you understand it?" Jinx said, her voice becoming sharp as anger burned in her spark. How dare this giant aft say Backlash has no voice! This slagging-

"The lineage of the family speaks for itself. There is as much decepticon influence as autobot."

"I seriously doubt that the Reaper has any interest in slaying autobots-"

"It is not Paradox that I speak of, but the very root of the decepticon forces, or rather, the point."

Jinx stilled, shocked once again. Her voice softened, "What do you mean, the point?"

"You don't know," Prowl stated, turning his attention back to her.

"No, I don't know! Pits, what the frag are you two babbling about?!" She snapped irritably, "just spit it out!"

"Backlash and his kind are descendents of Megatron," The bigger mech said in a matter-of-fact manner. "I have doubts, but Optimus seems to favor them despite this, and that is why they're still present."

Jinx suddenly felt light headed as the full weight of the rude mech's words hit her. Slowly, she shifted back and leaned against the shelves packed with energon. ...What?

"Demona and her family have proved themselves to be loyal," Prowl said carefully, "Even Backlash has become very valuable to our cause."

"Hardly." The mech said, a quiet note of finality in his voice. Prowl dropped it instantly.

"Wait, wait, wait." Jinx shook her head to clear her thoughts, "let me get this straight." She shifted the cube back to under her arm to gesture with her hands. "You're saying that...Megatron is in the family."

"Yes."

Jinx's processor was completely blown. First, she found out that Paradox was an ancestor. Now Megatron was one, too? Blinking slowly at them, her processor sluggishly worked through this. The mechs gave her a moment, both watching her and waiting for some sort of reaction.

No wonder half of Demona's family looked like they belonged in the decepticon ranks, Backlash most of all. Now that she thought about it...Backlash looked very similar to the decepticon war lord. All jagged and lethal looking, though much slimmer. More agile. More deadly. Black as night with a dull shine to his armor, so that he could blend seamlessly into the shadows.

"Well," Jinx said quietly, "that explains a lot." Her optics focused on the mechs, "I don't see how thats a problem, though, if they've all already clearly sided with the autobots."

"Not all of them. Backlash has yet to claim a faction. He refuses the autobot badge, and would rather spend his life in isolation on the moon."

Jinx cut him a scathing glare, "Pits, with the way all of you treat someone thats not in the happy little autobot convoy, can you blame them?" She glanced at the shelf and nabbed another cube right in front of them. Prowl made a sound of warning but she went back to squinting at them. "Don't get your exhaust pipe all twisted around. Its for Backlash."

"you cannot be left unattended, thief." The mech she didn't like said, "until you leave base or return to a guarded area of the base, it is our duty to accompany you."

"You don't say," Jinx muttered as she turned on one heel to stomp back out.

"Where are you going?" Prowl asked.

"To go steal all of your precious valued possessions," Jinx ground out.

"That would be highly unwise." The bigger mech said, following calmly.

"Who the pit are you, anyway?!" Jinx said, "All the times I've gotten the autobots, and I've never seen you once."

"I am Ultra Magnus, and you will not fool me, thief." His optics hardened, "your first step out of line will be your last as a free femme."

Jinx clenched her jaw, watching the mech much more carefully now. "Just take me back to the med bay."

Long, boring chapter. Its been a while but I finally got enough enough energy to start working on this again. I needed to get back in touch with Jinx's character before I could really continue, so thats how this started.

Magnus wasn't supposed to pop up in this story because hes just one of those characters I'm really unfamiliar with...originally it was supposed to be Hotshot that found her in there, but it just didn't fit with him. Then Prowl popped up, then Magnus was like, "oh, hey" and it went down hill from there. 8I Funny how often that happens.

This Ultra Magnus is based off of the Prime version, the one thats all stiff and commander-like.

Much love to you all. Thank you for hanging on for me.

Jinx, Backlash and his family, and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.

Oh...and I got to meet Manu Bennett (Crixus in Spartacus, Azgog in The Hobbit, Slade Wilson in Arrow) and Kirby Morrow (voice of Cybertron Hotshot, Miroku from Inuyasha, Mikame from Death Note, Goku from Canadian DBZ) this weekend at comic con...
Thats right. Be jealous.