Captain: This is it! This is it! The moment we've all waited for! BRAND NEW CONTENT! I was gonna wait a little longer to post but decided I needed a little pick-me-up after filling out so many job applications since the last post. So many. But hey, do have a hunting trip planned and coming up, so that'll be nice to get out and away for a bit. This chap has been a long time coming and I'm a little nervous how ya'll will take it, so please leave a review and let me know!
A special thanks to all those who have been reviewing either on here or Wattpad as the refurbished chapters went up, ya'll encouraged me by letting me know folks are still interested in this fic. Couldn't do it without ya.
Enjoy Fractured Spirit!
Friendship multiplies the good in life and divides the evil. ~Baltasar Gracian
The briefing continued on for some time, several of the Autobots stepping in to cover various topics that went along with their specialities. Darcy did not hear most of it. Her eyes dropped to the table in front of her and stayed there now that she couldn't ignore the existence of the other aliens in the room. Her body flinched whenever the floor rumbled with their movement. She might have bolted for the door had John and Lennox not shifted to neatly pin her between them. The aliens did not address her directly again, or if they did she didn't notice and one of the men answered for her. Her hand rubbed idly over her injured knuckles, mind spinning in circles. She knew she should pay attention, that what was being discussed could very well concern her and her future. There could be critical information going around, but still she could not force herself to focus on the words, could not bring her eyes to rise from the table. Not even when Prowl spoke again, though her brows pulled down at his voice. He said something about sending her home. Yes, please, send her home. Let her leave all of this behind, let her go back to a semblance of normalcy and reality. This was all a bad dream, a hell that she could escape from if only they let her back home. More words passed around, she worked out some of them, frowning further as she gathered what they could be saying.
It was not a promise of freedom.
Time passed in a blur of moments she couldn't keep track of. Eventually, Darcy found herself wandering the halls of the base, studiously ignoring everyone around her. There were fewer corridors that were small enough to limit the bots than she'd hoped, so she just let herself wander, changing direction when one crossed her path. For the most part she was ignored, as soldiers scurried about doing one task or the other. The base was still being renovated from its previous purpose, so the flurry of activity was concentrated and several untouched halls remained empty.
At least in all the activity following the debrief, no one had remembered to assign her a chaperone for her wanderings. Whatever medication Ratchet had forced into her earlier appeared to be long lasting. Though her knuckles certainly still burned, her shoulder was manageable enough to abandon the sling on a table somewhere early in her exploring.
The Hoover Dam, she'd been told, was where they were being held for the time being. John was to be released back to his family the following day, but evidently her involvement with Prowl was complicating things. They hadn't been able to tell when exactly she'd be free to return home, and the leader-Optimus Prime, she thought she remembered his name being-had advised her against it entirely. The Decepticons would look for her and she would be safest there on base with them.
Yeah. Right.
Behind all the words of comfort, she got the message. She was their captive. She'd just traded one prison for one with better accommodations.
At least here there were places where she could get away from them, little corners where they'd never be able to fit. For the most part, it appeared they preferred walking around rather than driving, and none were as small as the cat had been. It was hardly much of a relief, but it was something. The few that crossed her path ignored her, wrapped up in conversation with whoever they were walking with. It didn't seem that some of the humans realized they were talking to a robotic alien who towered above them, could squish them as easily as they could a bug. They joked and laughed as if it was their best friend, as if everything was perfectly normal.
Darcy didn't want to hang around long enough that such a thing would ever become routine.
"So this is the one that's had Prowler in such a tizzy lately."
She jerked at the unfamiliar voice, eyes flashing up from the floor. Up and up her gaze had to go, over flashy silver paint and the front bumper of a car that cost more than her yearly salary. "Wha-what?"
Her body took an involuntary step back, putting her back securely against the wall. This one hadn't been at the briefing, she was sure of it. She'd hoped that had been all of them, but evidently there were even more. Somehow this one had gotten close without her hearing his approach. The tires that supported his entire weight supplied the answer for that, but it did little to ease the shock, or fear. They could do that? Was it just this one or could they all shift their weight to glide around on near silent wheels?
The floor flexed beneath her feet, as if a minor tremor was rolling through the concrete. It was a feeling she now associated with the walking of one of those things. Behind the silver one, a yellow approached. They were similar looking-as much as robots could be similar anyway-though this one wasn't gliding around on his tires, and looked to have a sour expression on what passed for his face. The glance he spared her was filled with disdain, and she was only grateful that it did not last long.
"So?" The yellow one paused, his path currently blocked by the silver. Darcy sorely wished the latter would let the former through and on his way. Every nerve stood on end with that look, and now she was outnumbered.
"So? She punched his holoform so hard it broke his projector!" For whatever reason, he seemed entirely too excited about that bit of information. The yellow shifted ever so slightly.
"So we have this one to thank for his terrible mood then." He didn't sound impressed in the least.
"Oh come on, Sunny, you thought it was funny when you heard about it."
"Don't call me that." There was a growl to the voice, but it lacked serious heat. Not that these things had ever needed real anger to justify squishing a human.
Darcy glanced around, noting the distinct lack in any sort of other traffic that might serve to distract the two. They appeared pretty well distracted by each other for the moment, perhaps she just might be able to slip away unnoticed, if she stayed close to the wall….
"Hey! Where are you going?" Her heart leapt into her throat, feet freezing in place. Damn it.
"Sideswipe! Prowler wants ta see ya," a new voice reverberated down the hall, a deep thick accent that rolled across her skin.
The big silver alien turned away to glance down the hall. Whatever relief the newcomer might have granted evaporated the second Darcy turned to see who it was. Another. Fucking. Alien.
In her effort to avoid them, she'd somehow ended up in the only hallway where no other humans wandered, but all of the robots did. At least this one was shorter, but she knew that did not mean less lethal. There were three now, effectively boxing her in. The larger silver was straight in front of her, the yellow blocked escape to the right, and this newcomer took up the path back.
"Jazz! I'm surprised Ratchet let you out unsupervised." The larger silver leaned back, one tire rolling a bit before locking into place.
"Ha, please, like 'e could really keep meh locked up for long. Prowler can, and will lock ya up though, if ya keep 'im waitin' for too long." This one had a glowing visor that somehow seemed to light up with mirth. For whatever reason, despite the secretive nature of such a thing, it was more comforting that the direct stare of their eyes...or optics...or whatever.
"Bah, as much as I'd love to prove he can't hold the likes of me, he's been getting creative lately. Another time then, ah, darling I didn't catch your name." Darcy stiffened at once again finding herself at the focus of their scrutiny.
"Catch it later, Sides. Times a tickin'."
The big silver alien shrugged and waved cheerfully as he practically skated down the hall, the golden following at a slower pace. The detective felt the air thin considerably, her muscles slowly unclenching.
"I know those two can be a bit overwhelmin'." She blinked at the third alien, who'd blessedly made no move to come any closer. He was leaning against the wall, as much a picture of relaxation as a giant robot could be. Turning to pitch the visor towards where the other two had disappeared, he pushed off the wall, though didn't make a move towards her. "We've got about two clicks before 'e realizes Prowler didn't call 'em. Will ya allow me ta accompany ya elsewhere?"
It was strange that he would ask such a thing, it wasn't as if there was anything the detective could do to stop him if she wanted to be left alone. When she forced the words out, her voice was not as strong as she would have liked, "Do I have a choice?"
He cocked his head to one side. "Yes."
Darcy stalled, her eyes flashing to that glowing visor. It was as unreadable as all the others, and yet...somehow, the light seemed softer. Perhaps...perhaps allowing this one to hang around would keep the larger ones from bothering her.
"Fine, err, yes, I suppose."
Her muscles tensed as he took a step forward. He paused. Slowly, ever so impressively slowly, the panels along his body shifted and his shape grew smaller. In the longest transformation sequence she'd seen thus far, 'Jazz' the alien robot disappeared into the shape of a silver Porsche. If she wasn't scared out of her wits, she might have marveled at the real look at the complexity of their transformations. Staying on the far side of the corridor, the car idled forward. Darcy watched it cautiously.
Some six feet away it-he-came to a stop and the door popped open. A man stepped out smoothly, turned to look at his ride, and whistled. "I knew this would look good on meh!"
Darcy couldn't help but raise her brows as she looked over the holoform, who looked so perfectly and innocently human. If she looked at him instead of the car, she could believe she was talking to a flesh and blood person. "Shemar Moore, really?"
The man raised his hands, as if showing himself off. "Got a problem wit' this one?"
"Doesn't, ah, match with the voice so much." Would he be angry that she'd say such a thing? It'd taken so little to turn the Cons murderous.
He paused, eyebrows scrunching together. The voice that came out was a perfect imitation of the actor. "Better?"
"No." Because it was too perfect, because it might be too easy to forget she wasn't talking to a real man. At least he wasn't mad.
"Good, 'cause it's a li'tle weird for meh, Baby Girl." Now he was laying the accent on thick, throwing a charming grin into the mix.
Darcy couldn't help it, she snorted.
"There she is." His smile was soft now as he motioned for her to lead the way, keeping respectful distance between them.
"What?" Her legs finally lost some of the weight pinning them to the floor, slowly allowing her to move again. The car-the alien's actual body-waited some time before rolling along, keeping plenty of space between it and her.
Darcy couldn't vocalize how much she appreciated that.
"The name's Jazz, by the way," he mentioned lightly, the holoform shoving its hands in its pockets, a picture of ease.
The cop didn't really know what to do with that. "Darcy, though I assume you knew that already."
That grin flashed back. "Of course, Sides' wasn't kiddin' when he said everyone thought it hilarious ya broke Prowler's holo-projector. That spread faster than any rumor could hope to."
"I didn't actually mean to break it, he's just so... infuriating and I wanted him to feel even a portion of how much." Usually she liked to think she had a pretty good check on her temper, but sometimes, with the right buttons being pushed when she was already at wit's end, the holds broke loose. She wasn't exactly proud of striking the holoform, and less so of breaking the projector.
Jazz tipped his head back and laughed, even the Porsche rumbling with it. "Everyone wants ta hit 'im on occasion, but no one is ever brave enough ta actually do it."
"John always said I could have a hot head if I wasn't careful," she shrugged before wincing, wrapping her arms around herself, "Is he very angry about that?"
Shemar's twin snorted before shaking his head and waving his hand as if it was all no big deal. "He'll ge' over it, it'd been glitchin' out anyway. He won't be lookin' for retribution or nothin'."
He cocked his head to regard her for a long moment after, but he didn't say anything else. For the first time in she couldn't say how long, Darcy felt the silence was comfortable. That purring engine behind her couldn't be ignored, but she didn't feel the need to check on the distance every few seconds. They walked for some time with little interruption. Several soldiers passed, a few hollering friendly hello's to the car behind her. One or two even gave it a playful slap on the roof. The holoform at her side never once lost the easy smile and the car only ever revved in response to the soldiers' antics. How, the woman had no idea, but somehow the purr didn't sound as threatening as the other's. Where they were she'd long lost track, but they didn't come across another alien the entire time. Whether it was sheer luck or something organized by the one at her side, she had only a suspicion.
"I'm sorry," he finally broke the silence as they turned down another empty hallway. Darcy had gotten so used to the quiet that his voice almost made her jump out of her skin.
"For what?" she paused in her steps, facing the holoform fully in her bafflement. Of all the aliens she'd gotten the 'chance' to meet, he had the least to apologize for. In fact, she knew she should probably be thanking him.
"For everything the 'Cons put ya through. For ya having to meet us through them. We may be different sides, but we're of the same coin. I wish our war hadn' come here. So I'm sorry, for what ya had ta see and go through. I think you're very brave for doin' what ya did."
Darcy shoved her hands in her pockets, shrugging as she turned back to resume the trek down the hall. "I didn't do anything, though."
She should have. She should have done something that could have helped those people. Anything. Even if it killed her, even if she couldn't think of what she possibly could have done even now. There had to be something. It was eating her up that she was here, alive and somewhat physically well, while so many had only one end to their suffering.
"You survived. You're still here. Ya haven't gone screaming for the hills."
"I only made it because they let me, and I haven't found the door yet." Her living was due in no part to any actions of hers. It wasn't even dumb luck, it was John and Major Lennox.
And the cavalry arriving just as her time was running out.
The hand that softly gripped her arm was warm and weathered. Blue eyes conveyed more emotion that she'd ever seen come from the other false humans. The Porsche had come a bit closer now, but made no move to close the remaining distance. "Ya made it because you're strong. Don't blame yourself for makin' it when they didn't. There was nothin' ya coulda done. You didn't give up on the case when others told ya to. You're the reason we found out about what the 'Cons were up to. Ya saved hundreds by bein' a good cop."
Darcy could only stare at him, at a loss. She knew it was what she so badly needed to hear, knew that he was telling the truth. There was nothing she could have done to help the ones already captured. So many more would have been lost had she set down the case files, attributed the rising numbers to bad weather, if she'd never gone behind her boss's back and attempted to call the FBI.
But still….
So many dead.
So many lives destroyed.
So many families ripped apart.
So many loved ones who would never know what really happened.
And nothing a tiny human could have done to stop it.
She sighed for what felt like the thousandth time since waking up.
"I'll try to remember that." It was all she could promise, she knew Jazz had been waiting for some kind of response, but that was the best she could offer.
He nodded, that easy smile gracing over his lips again before he released her arm. Bending his, he offered his crooked elbow to her. "As long as ye try, and I'll be happy ta remind ya when ya need it."
Darcy hesitated. She wanted to be terrified of him, he was one of them after all. She wanted to run, she wanted to put as much space between them as she could.
Her hand lightly rested on his arm. Jazz was different, even from the fellow Autobots. She may not want to get used to their presence, but maybe he could help her not be so afraid just to talk to one if she had to. She didn't like being weak, she didn't like being afraid. And maybe, just maybe, this one could expedite the process of getting her home.
She could only hope.
"Jazz….would you be honest with me?" It felt wrong, like some sort of trick to be trusting this….thing...so soon after everything. She didn't want to trust him, to trust an alien. But there was something that made it hard not to, an openness that was ironic considering the very nature of the visor his real body had.
"I'm always honest!" he boasted before his eyes caught hers and his expression sobered some. The holoform had no shades. The emotion there could all be faked, would probably be easy for them to do so, but she couldn't help but believe it.
"What are my chances of going home?" It was hard to ask, hard to force the words out. She was scared of the answer. Would it be never? Would they keep her here indefinitely because of some made up connection to Row...Prowl? Was there even a home left for her to go to?
He sighed heavily, the sound in stereo as the Porsche released a vent in tandem. A sure sign that the answer was the opposite of what she was hoping for.
"Once you're medically released, we aren't gonna hold ya captive or tell ya ya can't go home, but…," of course there was a but, there was always a but, "we will strongly advise against it. At least until the immediate threat of the 'Cons is over."
A part wondered if they would really try targeting her again if she was away from their true enemy. The hatred in Barricade's voice answered that one readily enough. He would just out of spite, just for the simple fact of sticking it to Prowl. No doubt they were evil enough to do it simply because she'd escaped them as well.
"And how long until that threat is over?" She knew the answer before she'd even asked, but still, she wondered how honest he would be with her.
"I wish I could say tomorra, or next week, or even a month from now. We may get the upper hand now n' then, but they're never really gone. Just waitin' for the next opportunity." He tipped his head. She glanced back, the car was only a few paces away, closer than it had been before. She jolted as his voice came from both it and the holoform next to her. "We've been fightin' a long time, but Earth feels different. I think the 'Cons feel it too. Either way it goes, I think our war finally ends here."
Either way it goes. Somehow that didn't sound very reassuring, despite the victory they'd just had over their enemies. What would the world look like, if the Decepticons won? She couldn't imagine they would stay quiet or secret for long. She wished neither side had come here, had found some other planet to have their war on, but if they had to be here, then at least the Autobots had come to try to help the people. Better that than to live in a world completely under the Decepticons' thumb.
"What do they want?" she asked with a frown. "Other than world domination, I mean. They act like humans are so far beneath them, but the experiments….."
She closed her eyes, tried to repress the image of the woman in the blue liquid that disintegrated her even as she screamed. It was all she could see, all she could hear, the smell of metal and blood clogged her nose. The psycho 'Con's cackling somehow louder than the wails of terror and agony while his engine purred in delight.
"Darcy, Darcy!" She reeled back from a grip on her shoulders, falling back as her knees hit a firm object.
Looking around rapidly, she blinked several times at Shemar….no, Jazz, standing in front of her, arms outstretched like he'd meant to catch her.
"Easy, Darce, you're safe here. You're not back there anymore."
No, the walls were steel gray, not black and wet. There were no screams, no copper smell of blood, no cackling. Just a man standing stone still, the smell of clean metal, the soft purr of a high performance engine, and warmth under her palms.
Warmth. The floor wasn't warm. But she wasn't low enough to have actually fallen all the way back to the floor. The way Jazz was watching her, not moving, like she was a startled rabbit that might suddenly fly away at any motion. Her blood ran very cold very fast. She'd fallen back on the hood of the Porsche, on the hood of an alien.
It was a fight to move, to get up as fast as she possibly could and run far, a fight against her frozen limbs, her muscles clenched tight in fear, waiting for that fatal blow to come. Her will to flee outweighed the fear of moving and she lurched herself off of the car, intending to put rapid distance between it and her.
Jazz was there to intercept her. His arms came completely around her, firm but gentle as he spoke over her rapid-fire apologies. "Don't be sorry Darce, I've got ya, it's gonna be alrigh'."
That was a lie, she felt, how could this ever be alright? How could she ever be alright?
"I...I would like to be alone now, please," her voice cracked, arms wrapping tightly around herself. She didn't want to be around anyone like this, especially not an alien, not now.
Conflict raged across his face, no, the holoform's face. It wasn't really him. It was just a lie, an illusion, it wasn't a real person. Even if he felt warm and solid holding her upright, it was still fake. Hesitantly, he nodded, releasing her to step away back towards his car….his real self. "If ya wanna talk, you can always come ta me."
She nodded once as he turned to leave her in that hallway, backtracking several paces to put her back to the wall to give him space to go.
He paused, mouth dropping open like he wanted to say something. She turned her head away, hoping he would choose to go in silence. He did, rumbling his engine louder than necessary as he disappeared around the corner. She was alone, just like she wanted.
Just what she didn't really want to be and yet was desperately craving. For shit's sake she couldn't even sort out her own head.
She did know for certain that she had no intentions of running into another Autobot while she was alone. Somehow she doubted any of the others would be as accommodating to her wishes as Jazz had been. Humans, she needed to find humans and lose herself among them. There had to be some kind of rec room around here. With any luck there would be people-only sized ones somewhere.
Her luck had clearly run out, but at least she was able to find what she was looking for. Three pool tables, a wall of TV's, and several various sized couches marked the official purpose of the room, she just wished it wasn't so bloody big and packed with couches and counters of the alien size. At least there was only one lounging at the moment, vastly outnumbered by the soldiers and green paint blending well with the soldiers' fatigues.
An empty armchair put her in the vicinity of a group of laughing men. Not close enough to encourage them to draw her into conversation, but enough to make it look like she was occupied to the casual observer.
The drone of some video game on the main screen and the jeers of the players was enough to drown out the hiss of hydraulics whenever the single Autobot moved. His voice blended well enough that if she closed her eyes, she could pretend they were all human. So she did, curling up as tight as her body would allow and just listened to the drone of cheerful competition.
Falling asleep in the rec room must have been a semi regular occurrence, because when she came to a good time later, it was an entirely new group of soldiers that surrounded her. No one had bothered her for claiming the chair for however many hours, no one had told her to go sleep in her room, which she belatedly realized she didn't have outside of the medbay. She'd been left to sleep, which her mind had desperately needed and taken in a blessedly dreamless fashion. Her body was making her pay for her chosen mattress in aching far worse than it had yet. Ratchet's pain meds had worn off and frankly, she had no idea where the bottle of pills he'd given her had ended up. Not particularly looking forward to the idea of attempting to find the medbay or going back to it, she stiffly shifted to her other side and closed her eyes again.
There was a rule about letting sleeping soldiers lie, maybe she could get away with taking advantage of it until they cleared her to go home.
"Detective." Ripped from sleep with a jolt, Darcy blearily looked around for whoever the hell was addressing her. The rec room was practically empty, a single pair of men playing cards in one corner was her only company and neither of them were looking at her. Feeling her heart attempt to beat its way out of her chest, she raised her gaze.
Prowl was twenty feet away. Not Row, not the Charger, but Prowl as himself. His very large, very alien self. The black and white color scheme was too much like Barricade. She pressed herself into the chair. Jazz had said he wasn't mad about the broken projector, but that didn't make it true. They'd killed for less before.
"Prowl." Her eyes tracked the exits, but the only human sized door was too far away. Even if she bolted there was no chance of reaching it before he reached her.
Her skin crawled as he looked at her. She hated this. Hated being too afraid to meet his gaze, afraid of the tremors in the floor.
"Detective Williams is preparing to leave. I assume you wish to say your farewells." He turned on his heel and started out of the room, pausing to glance back when she didn't move to follow. "I shall show you to him."
Regretfully, Darcy stiffly unfolded herself from the chair. Muscles and joints groaned in pained protest, her injured arm nearing total numbness. Sleeping in the chair had definitely not been the best of ideas, but at least the rest had been dreamless.
It took several stumbled steps for the feeling to return to her legs and she resolutely did not look at Prowl as she made her way over to him.
"Do you require a ride?" Darcy nearly tripped over herself lurching away from thought of climbing inside another alien made her distinctly faint and ill. Even this one, who she'd ridden in without knowing many times. Hell, she'd stolen him at one point. Or rather, he let her, which was one of the most confusing things he'd done since she met the fake him.
"I'd rather walk." Would she even be able to look at normal cars the same again? Was there a way to tell alien from cold metal, or would she be forever stuck not knowing for sure?
Too many questions and she'd never get close to figuring them out stuck in this base. She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to move on with her life, put it all behind her. And yet that could be impossible because of a damn personal feud between the alien in front of her and the other faux police rig.
Screw them all and the asteroid they rode in on. Keeping behind and across the corridor from Prowl, Darcy followed as he continued on. Maybe it wasn't true. Maybe if she got away from them all then she would be okay. Maybe Barricade would leave her alone. Maybe she could hide from all of them.
Damn it all, I am not a coward! Only as her heart thudded in strength to match Prowl's steps, she realized that in this, she was. She'd spent her life facing down the worst humanity had to offer, but facing the worst the universe had to offer was too much. She wasn't a soldier. She was a small town cop who just wanted to check back into reality.
Prowl led her to a massive hanger that was lined with military trucks rigged with high powered rifles on the roofs. Every one of them sporting the NEST logo on their doors. John and his wife were waiting at the other end by a large garage door that was retracted up. The outside air felt cool against her skin, but the darkness provided no views as to what lay beyond the door. Figures, her first glimpse of escape was at night.
John wrapped her in a tight hug the moment she reached him. Despite the pain, she gripped him just as tightly.
"Stay safe, Darce. And call me if you need anything, you hear?" he whispered into her ear. She didn't want him to go, but she couldn't ask him to stay. So she nodded, swallowing the thick lump in her throat.
"Where will you go?" She didn't think they'd just try to go back home and continue on with their previous retirement plans in the same house. It wouldn't be safe. What if Barricade came back?
John pulled away to crack a weak grin. "Jules always wanted to see the Everglades, so we were thinking Florida."
Darcy couldn't help but snort a little, eyeing her old partner and his wife. "Florida? Don't you think that's a little stereotypical?"
His grin widened, turned more genuine as he chuckled and stepped back to tuck his arm around his wife. "I think it's warm. I've done my time driving in the snow."
It was also very far from the mountains of Washington or the forests of Idaho, she noted, and she couldn't help but feel a little envy that he was able to leave already. No, she should be happy that he was getting to leave, to start his life up again, enjoy his retirement. She just wished she could go with him.
Glancing back at the rig that was waiting to take them home, it took her a moment to recognize the black behemoth of a truck. Lennox was unnecessarily sitting in the driver's seat, looking like he was in the middle of an argument with no one. Or no, he was arguing with the truck, with Ironhide. Right, the weapons specialist, the self-declared big guns of the operation. If anyone could make sure John and Juliet got home safety, it was this tank of a Topkick.
"Don't let Prowl drive you too crazy," John winked with an easy smile thrown to the tactician still standing behind her. Three days, she reminded herself. He'd been around the Autobots for three days already while she was unconscious. "I'll be seeing you soon, Darce."
She could only nod as he followed his wife into Ironhide's cab, waving weakly as the truck rumbled out the open door and into the night. Her feet stayed rooted long after the taillights had disappeared from view.
No, she rather doubted they'd be seeing each other anytime soon.
Heaving a sigh, she turned as the large door glided closed and jolted at finding Prowl still standing there. Why the hell was he still there?
Skirting around to give him a wide berth, Darcy started back the way she had come. This base was an utter maze of tunnels and right now she only generally knew the way back to the rec room. If it was still empty, she might be able to claim a couch this time.
Until she realized Prowl was following her.
"Was there something else you needed?" she chanced asking, hoping it was just a coincidence that he was going this way too. The way he stayed a pace behind her wasn't entirely convincing of that notion though.
"No." She stopped walking and so did he.
"Then can I ask why you're hovering?" It grated her nerves to have him so close, especially in that….form.
His blue gaze met hers evenly and she had to fight not to look away. "Ratchet's conditions upon you leaving his medbay required a chaperone to ensure you did not relapse and injure yourself further. As there is no one else currently around, that duty falls to me."
Flipping fantastic. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm fine."
She swore his face went through the motion of raising a brow he didn't actually have. "I will rely upon Ratchet's expertise in determining such."
Growling under her breath, Darcy tossed her arms up in frustrated annoyance, wincing as the move pulled her bad shoulder. She could feel the joint shift unnaturally, bone grating against nerves. Ow.
"Don't suppose I've got my own room somewhere, then?" she asked doubtfully but with a small piece of hope that she could get away from his overshadowing presence.
"You have a bed in the medical bay until Ratchet clears you." Oh of course. So her choices were a self-imposed chaperone or a grouchy medic.
A piece of dark fabric dropped in front of her face; she frowned at it in confusion. The other end was trapped between Prowl's fingers. Christ he had a long reach. "He also orders your continued use of the sling for the next seven to ten days."
Darcy scowled at the offending arm sling she'd abandoned several hours ago, snatching it when it became evident he wasn't going to move away from her until she took it.
The bright blue of his 'eyes' dimmed slightly and she had the distinct impression he was no longer paying direct attention to her. That was...interesting. And an opportunity she wasn't going to waste, immediately stepping through a human-sized door and closing it behind her.
"Detective, that is not the way to the medical bay," his voice came through easily and she had little doubt the wall would be capable of holding him back if he really wanted to reach for her.
Feeling bolder by the minor barrier, she decided to press her luck and walked away. His projector was broken after all, and the Autobots seemed less prone to rampant destruction on a whim. Prowl had had many opportunities to be rid of her already and he hadn't taken them, there stood a chance he wouldn't now. She mentally winced as she realized just how much of a pain she'd probably been to him since she first attempted to call the FBI, and yet he'd made no move to even try intimidating her with his alien-ness.
Blowing out a breath, Darcy told herself that the Autobots were the good guys. They had rescued them, risked life and limb to get them out of those caves instead of just blowing it from a safe distance. They partnered with humans, willingly went on missions with them in tow. The Non-biological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty was a partnership between them and humanity against any global threats. She didn't need to be afraid here. So many humans wouldn't be relaxed around them if there was a threat of getting squished.
But they were alien robots. All that separated them from the others was a moral philosophy. Just how deep did that belief go?
Deep enough for war. Damn it all, it wasn't that different from people. If only she could get that to settle in her mind. If only her body listened so easily to reason.
If only she knew where the bloody hell she was in this maze of a base. Running from Prowl had really not been thought through. She had no idea where she was relative to anything and her only company was her own thoughts. At the moment she couldn't decide which companion was worse.
The small hall ended at another door that led into-surprise, surprise-another alien-sized corridor. Seriously what did they move through this dam that had required building hallways so dang large before they knew the existence of aliens?
"There's my fellow medic-evadist!" Jumping out of her thoughts and her skin, Darcy nearly tripped over herself turning to face the too-excited voice that echoed in the otherwise quiet base.
She let out a breath. If it had to be an alien, at least it was this one. "Medic evadist?"
Jazz chuckled, stepping towards her easily, halting a respectful distance away. Gods she appreciated him. "The 'ole Hatchet's been after meh for another 'observation'. I think 'e just likes pokin' around in my circuits."
It took her a second to translate what that could possibly mean. Apparently the faux Porsche disliked doctor visits as much as she did and Ratchet's gruff bedside manner was not reserved just for the humans. That was….comforting, in a morbid way.
For a moment his visor dimmed just like Prowl's eyes had and he spoke with the same amount of cheer she was beginning to suspect was his default mode. "Found 'er, Prowlers."
She glanced around for the black and white, frowning at seeing no one. Who was he talking to? She wasn't making acquaintances with the crazy one, was she? Because that would totally be her luck.
Jazz grinned, tapping his head. "Comm links. Like a phone in our 'ead."
A slight burst of static and it was Prowl's voice coming from the smaller Autobot, only slightly distorted as if he were coming through a radio….or a phone. "...atchet requires her immediate return to rectify her missed medications and dietary supplements…'
Darcy winced as Jazz cut the voice out. Oops. She'd quite literally gone and not done a single one of the things Ratchet had demanded as conditions of her leaving his medbay. As convenient as those comm links must be over long distance or in a fight, she could see them becoming a pain while she was here. How could she possibly get away if any of them could alert all of them instantaneously?
Jazz laughed again as his visor brightened. Was that the physical signal of using those comms then? "Don't worry 'bout Ratch, he barks a lot but saves the bites for the twins."
Yeah she wasn't going to touch that one. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice on going, do I?"
Jazz let out an almost dramatic sigh that she felt blow across her face, as if it had come through car vents. Well, he was a robotic alien that turned into a car. Maybe she wasn't that far off. "Better we face 'im sooner rather than later. 'e's got practice trackin' wayward patients."
Probably with those twins he mentioned, and maybe even himself. At least she wouldn't have to face the doctor totally alone if he was evading as well.
"Walk or ride, Baby Girl?" Darcy barely withheld the urge to roll her eyes and silently prayed that he wouldn't make a habit of the nickname. The military liked callsigns too much for that to be going around.
"I'll walk, thanks," she answered dryly, gesturing for him to lead the way. "The hall is hardly a road."
He chuckled, half his visor winking in and out. Was that….was that an actual wink? "Anythin's a road if ya got the stones for it."
Eyeing the sharp corners, she knew theoretically it was wide enough. He'd done it earlier after all when walking with her. Somehow she didn't think she could count on an Autobot that was sometimes a Porsche to keep his speed down if she actually dared get in. "I think I'll choose life."
Jazz placed a dramatic hand over his chest, where a heart would be on a human. Did they even have hearts? Or...err...something equivalent? "I'll have ya know I'm 'n excellent driver. I would neva crash!"
"Even so." He kept on an easy smile that she was unaccustomed to seeing. For a robotic face, they were surprisingly expressive. She could almost be impressed that it was possible to discern the difference between his smile and the psychotic grin of Wild Rider. Again she wondered just how easy it was for them to fake. They were robots, or something. Some of them were clearly unaffected by emotions, or were they all, and more simply chose to fake it?
Knowledge was power against something so much larger and stronger and right now she was weak. There had been a very brief rundown during the meeting earlier, but frankly she'd been too focused on being outnumbered and surrounded to remember much.
"Jazz, can I ask you a question?" she finally spit out before she could chicken out. She'd rather ask a human what they knew, but that would all be second hand. She knew the value of getting intel straight from the source.
"I aim ta please, so fire away," he replied immediately, his steps slowing marginally. Darcy noted it was putting him more level with her instead of ahead. Like he was doing earlier as a car, slowly eeking his way closer and closer. Narrowing her eyes, she realized he was trying to work her into being okay being close to him.
Damn, he was good.
Her question changed at the last moment. "What is your role in all of this?"
"Before the war I was part o' the Security Forces under Prowler. Guess ya could say I was our version o' a detective." She blinked up at him. Huh, go figure. She actually had something in common with a giant robotic alien. Technically with two, given Prowl had been a part of it as well. Or their version of the Chief or something, which fit given his propensity for giving orders and expecting them to be blindly followed. Darcy couldn't help but mentally wince. If she had followed his orders, then she never would have been caught up in this mess. The bitter taste on her tongue alerted her to the fact that she would probably need to apologize for laying into him earlier. Easier said than done. Just because he was right didn't mean he had to be such a dick about it. Jazz continued breezily, "Now I'm head o' SpecOps. Master o' sabotage and sick beats."
The detective raised her brows. "Sick beats, huh?"
Immediately he started pumping out some hip hop song she didn't recognize, the music twisting and jumping seamlessly to parts of other songs she did recognize. She raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Next time I throw a rave I'll be sure to hire you for DJ."
The music cut off as he gave a laughing affirmative nod. "I think I'm Second Lieutenant now? I was First but Prowlers took tha' when I died and I doubt he'll be givin' it back."
His visor flashed in a wink again and Darcy snorted until she really processed what he said. She jolted to a stop, her neck cracking as she whipped around to look up at him. "Wait, you died?"
Good lord, did these things actually not die for good? Or just certain ones? She remembered the body in the caves and the pieces of others Knock Out used as spare parts, so she'd assumed dead was dead for them as much as it was humans.
Jazz paused as well, raising his arm to sheepishly rub the back of his head. "You prob'ly weren't suppose' to know that."
Dropping his arm, he shrugged carelessly. "Ah well. There was a fragment of the artefact that brough' us here with a bit 'o power left to it. Ratch' fixed meh up and used it to restart ma spark."
His fist thudded against his chest, right over where a heart should be. So, they called it a spark...or something. Darcy's brows scrunched at the can of worms that had just been opened. Now she definitely had more questions. Rubbing her brow, she looked up at Jazz in disbelief. "At some point you're gonna have to break that story down because what?"
He grinned widely, gesturing towards the empty corridor ahead of them. "The Hatchet ain't lookin' for us yet."
Darcy hadn't expected him to be willing to jump into the whole story right away, but apparently Jazz wasn't one to turn away a captive audience. So she could only nod dumbly as he launched into a tale that started millenia ago-seriously how long did these things live, did they even die of old age?-and unintentionally entangled with Earth several generations ago, but only truly became an active interaction after a teenager posted a pair of glasses on ebay.
Seriously, this was almost too ridiculous to be anything but the truth.
Another planet across the galaxy where all life was robotic, but it was life. Complex life with long histories and individual personalities, of work forces and social classes, subjugation and uprisings, war. What started as a minor conflict, remote battles, victories that didn't bother anyone much. Until the battle was on everyone's front door; until they were forced to choose a side and take up arms. A fight that raged on for too long, until few remembered what they were supposed to be fighting for anymore; a fight that destroyed cities, continents, their home. A desperate launch, the last hope for a dying planet sent out among the stars only to crash onto a little blue world. The first round of Autobots and Decepticons, a battle in Mission City that had been blamed on malfunctioning experimental technology. Offlining-dying-at Megatron's hands to buy time for the human soldiers to retreat. That was a few years ago, more waves from both sides had been arriving steadily. With their leader dead, the Decepticons had been quiet and unorganized, popping up here and there for small skirmishes but otherwise avoiding conflict. Until she tried calling the FBI and helped Prowl figure out they'd been secretly abducting the extended families of NEST personnel. None of them had expected Starscream to be able to rally the 'Cons under his command. But now they knew, now they could be prepared. The tiny fragment of the Allspark had succeeded in bringing him back and a little human detective had delivered them a resounding victory against the 'Cons.
"Moral's neva been higha!" Jazz finished brightly and with a dramatic flourish of his hands. Hands that could transform into a massive magnet, a grappling hook, or their version of guns, all of which he gladly showed her when he went off on a side tale of the variety in their weapons that depended on their specialties, which in turn was heavily influenced by the frames and programming that were granted them when they were created. By a deity or the Allspark or some 'well', she wasn't clear. He'd lost her on that one but had just kept on going so she didn't try to dwell on it too long.
"Well, 'cept maybe for Ratch' now that the twins are togetha an' tryin' jet judo again."
"Dare I ask what jet judo is?" Darcy raised a brow with an upwards tug of her lip.
"The bane of my existence," Ratchet cut over whatever no doubt detailed explanation Jazz was about to grant her. She stiffened, backtracking a step at finding him blocking their path with large arms crossed over his chest. He made Jazz look small and she knew he wasn't even the biggest of them. "As are patients I have to track down."
She winced, shifting closer to Jazz so she wasn't such an open saboteur waved a dismissive hand, not sounding at all apologetic. "Sorry 'bout that Ratch'. My fault."
"The detective I can forgive. I commed you three times." For a being that didn't actually possess eyebrows, it looked impressively like he was raising them, waiting for whatever brilliant excuse the smaller Autobot could come up with.
Jazz shrugged, utterly relaxed under the rather fierce stare of the medic. "I was tellin' 'er 'bout us."
"So I heard. Things I am quite certain Prowl did not clear her to know." As much as she was growing to like Jazz, Darcy was damn glad Ratchet was focusing his attention on him instead of her. The alien doctor released a venting sigh before turning on his heel, gesturing for them to follow. Darcy obediently started forward with a sheepish look at Jazz. She didn't intend to get him into trouble by asking questions. Jazz, for his part, smiled unabashedly, his visor winking at her as Ratchet's voice reached back. "You are fortunate I do not always agree with Prowl's assessments."
Darcy blinked at the medic's yellow-green back as Jazz barked a laugh. Well, that was unexpected.
"Ms. Blake, I may be in a forgiving mood for now, but so help me if you do not get that sling back on…" he let the threat hang in the air and Darcy was quick to obey, silently grumbling and unwilling to concede that her shoulder did hurt less being supported.
Captain: Oh boy a lot went on. She's met the twins! She met Jazz! Panic attacks and flashbacks and oh dear this girl is so screwed in the head. Prowl, ya got your work cut out for ya! John's departure was abrupt, can she recover without his help? Will she see her mentor again or is this the end of the road for their friendship? Only time will tell... And where are the dang Cons? Like a guided missile, they are incoming...
Please drop a review! As this is a brand new chap, even those who reviewed when this story originally posted can finally do so again! :) What did you love, what did you not like so much? Do you want to see John again? Just how much is Jazz going to meddle in the relationships of his friends?