Author's Note: Be advised there is some swearing in this chapter. I should have warned readers of this in the previous chapters (especially those containing Roadbuster) - my bad. If you don't like swearing, I suggest you f#$ ing skip this chapter. :-)

Hope it's been worth the wait to have Jazz back...

Chapter 118 – Sowing the seed of distrust

Prime P.O.V

::I'm in. Can you see my camera?:: Cade's voice comes through my comms as he uses the drone to contact me.

He pans around the lab revealing men and women milling about in white coats, standing about tables that contain what looks to be body parts of Transformers. I feel my dentas clench together tightly as I fight back anger and concern. ::Affirmative. Exercise extreme caution Cade. While we need to know what they are up to, your safety is of primary importance:: I am sure Cade can sense the urgency, tempered with concern, in my voice.

::Understood Prime, but we have to get something to pin these arseholes with or none of us get our lives back:: Cade replies, his voice resolute. Though I do not like his response, I know he is right.

''Metal. Just metal. That's what I always thought of them,'' the voice of a female comes through the video and I refrain from responding, unwilling to blow Cade's cover. I do not get a visual of her as Cade takes great pains to keep the drone hidden. My dermas twist into a grimace as her words further fan the flames of distrust, disappointment and anger I feel towards humans.

''Well, they're not. They're living things, with souls like ours,'' Cade replies almost offended on our behalf and I feel myself send up a silent prayer of thanks that I had the good fortune to meet this man. The lady in question must have shot Cade a confused look as he belatedly added, ''Once, I spoke to one.''

''And you're working with Transformium?'' The woman's tone is one incredulity.

At the mention of that element, my processor is sent into overdrive. /Transformium? What on Cybertron would they have need of Transformium for unless…./, that worrying feeling I get in the pit of my tanks when I am about to find out something unpleasant, increased tenfold.

I can hear Cade stumble in his reply, ''Uh...yeah, that's what I do. I...I am.'' Cade continues to pan the camera around surreptitiously.

The woman gives an audible sigh of frustration, ''I'm out there digging for it, there's just not much left to find.''

Without warning the camera flashes up an image of what appears to be a large glass box and inside stands Brains, wired up and looking exhausted and miserable. /What on Cybertron? So that's where he has been all this time!/. Following the wires protruding from the box, they appear to be connected to….. my spark stops pulsing momentarily. /Megatron!/. Before I can truly process that image, the camera feeds me another unsettling image. What appears to be the remnants of a face, though it is being melted by several men with blow torches.

''So that's how badly you boys need more, huh? Reduced to melting evil old Decepticons down,'' the woman's insensitive and ignorant comment sends the energon in my lines simmering in quiet rage.

''No,'' Cade sighs out loud as he zooms in and studies the face before him. ''That's likely an Autobot there. The ones who fought for us. They have been attacked and killed too.''

Suddenly, an angry snarl is heard behind me as Roadbuster yells, ''That's Leadfoot! Those fuckin' despicable, heartless, fuckin' savages. I'll fuckin' kill 'em!'' I disconnect the transmission to Cade, hoping we did not just blow his cover.

Peering closely, I feel the truth of his words settle in my spark and a wave of anger courses through me. Leadfoot mercilessly killed and so dishonourably treated, Brains imprisoned and tortured for some nefarious end, Rachet attacked and almost killed, my own life almost extinguished and my beloved Phoenix and Elita missing. It is more than I can take, and I let out a feral, furious growl of rage. ''I'm gonna tear them apart!''

Jazz, who had been standing beside me, calls out, ''Prime!'' He tries to grab at my arm in an effort to calm me or reason with me, but I am beyond that.

::Prime! I think they're on to me, you better get here!:: the sound of Cade's voice breaks through my comms and I growl in frustration and not a little fear for Cade.

I roughly brush off Jazz's servo and bark at my soldiers. ''Autobots, transform and roll for KSI, NOW! They have Cade!'' At once Bumblebee, Ironhide, Crosshairs, Drift, Hound, Roadbuster, Topspin and Jazz transform into their alt modes and rev their engines.

''I'll stay behind, and monitor your progress in case there are casualties,'' Rachet calls out to me as I immediately transform and accelerate towards their headquarters. I do not even reply as I tear off down the road, the sound of screeching tyres and the smell of burnt rubber let me know my team are close behind me.

As I barrel along, my mind is cast back to when we first arrived here and fought for the humans in what seemed an age ago. Ironhide's words come back to haunt me, drifting through my processor like wisps of smoke. /Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primitive and violent race/. At the time I had rebuffed his comments, dismissing them as I had /sensed good in them/. I had given humans the benefit of the doubt. /Now, all I seem to feel is doubt/.

I had championed their race, their survival as I have long believed that freedom is the right of all sentient beings. As the imposing building of KSI looms ahead of me, I feel a sneer form on my dermas and low growl erupts from deep within me. ''And how have these humans treated the freedom of Brains and Leadfoot? What compassion and mercy have they shown them!?'' The rhetorical question hangs about my spark like a leaden weight as I race towards the building.

Turning into the street the building is situated in, I slow down and allow Bumblebee to surge ahead of me along with the Wreckers, Drift, Crosshairs and Hound as they prepare to storm the building. Ironhide, Jazz hang back with me. The incandescent rage still bubbles away inside me as I transform and draw my blaster. Bumblebee and the others have already smashed through the front windows, the sound of people screaming surrounds me.

I do not care.

In several great strides I jump through the shattered window closely followed by Jazz and Ironhide who flank me. ''MOVE!'' I command tersely to the people scurrying about my pedes. Bumblebee and Drift in his helicopter mode, peel off to find Cade whilst myself and the others go in search of this laboratory.

The Wreckers and Crosshairs stumble across the room first and smash their way in, not particularly caring who, if anyone, is caught in the crossfire, and I absentmindedly find myself not bothering to check them on their actions. Crosshairs summersaults into the room, blaster drawn, firing into the ceiling, a manic gleam in his optics. Roadbuster and Topspin right behind him.

''FUCK OFF EVERY LAST ONE OF YE!'' Roadbuster yells as he joins in with Crosshairs and fires upon the room.

''You heard him ya pasty-faced, yella livered cowards. Use those twigs ya call legs and get the hell outta here!'' Topspin adds his piece to the chaos.

Storming in behind them, blaster drawn and a look of thunder on my faceplates I bellow at all those in the room, ''GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!'' I wave my left arm in a wide arc, ushering them out and bringing it up to cradle my blaster as I train it around the room.

Hound serges into the room behind me, ''Science fair's over meat bags!'' Though I would normally have rebuked his crass and derogatory terminology, I ignored it.

''Destroy the lab!'' I continue to train my blaster around the room, around me Crosshairs, Roadbuster, Topspin and Hound are taking great delight in firing upon various equipment and at the ground around people's feet, ''motivating'' them to run.

Jazz and Ironhide flank me on either side, and out of the corner of my optic, I notice Jazz's expression is one of concern. He should be happy we are finally inside this building, putting the final pieces of the puzzle he has been trying to solve these past three years, together. Yet his optics rest on me, not on the melee around him. His concern is for me.

''Prime?'' He starts to reach out tentatively towards me again.

Explosions erupt around me and I surge forward out of his reach, ignoring him again. ''Destroy it all!'' My voice is filled with vehemence as I knock over metal scaffolding and prime my weapon to fire.

A small voice cries out for help over the confusion and chaos as Brains urgently tries to flag our attention. ''Guys! It's me! Break me outta this Frankenstein box!''

I call out to Ironhide and Hound, ''Ironhide, Hound; release Brains from his prison.''

''Consider it done Prime,'' Ironhide responds.

''You got it Boss,'' Hound bites down on his cigar and fires off another volley of shots into the room as he makes his way with Ironhide towards Brains.

I continue forward and notice a bald-headed man with glasses come charging forward defiantly. ''Hey! Hey! Stop! That's company property!'' He points accusingly at us all.

I feel the energon in my lines boil and I narrow my optics at him, ''They're not YOUR property! I point menacingly back at him, ''They were MY friends!'' I feel myself shake with rage at the shear audacity and arrogance of this man. There can be only one conclusion as to who stands before me. ''YOU must be Joshua Joyce,'' I ground out with contempt and utter disdain.

The man seems taken aback that I know his name and for a moment, stands there silently.

Hound steps up with Ironhide, their blasters and cannons drawn, and Brains sits upon Hound's arm. ''Do you feel lucky punk?'' Ironhide spits out at him.

''Oh you're not talkin' so much ya got Hound and Ironhide in front of ya hunh?'' Brains taunts the man, unleashing some of his anger at being held captive.

The man regains control of his emotions and simply sneers up at them, unphased and unmoved by my previous words. ''Go ahead, show us your true colours once and for all.''

Hound glares at Joyce. ''Just give me the word, I'll splatter him.''

For a moment I am tempted to give Hound free reign. Jazz steps up beside me and second later I raise my servo to stay Hound's servos.

Joyce nods his head in my direction, ''Why don't you tell itchy fingers here, that this is all the spoils of war – dead metal!''

I narrow my optics dangerously and a snarl appears on my dermas. I clench my blaster in my servos tightly and I feel Jazz's optics bore into me.

Joyce continues talking in that superior, arrogant voice that tears at my nerves and eats away at my resolve. ''Innovation. What we do here is science, because if we don't do it someone else will, because you cannot stop technology.''

/That does it!/. Like a tightly coiled spring - I snap. I step forward and kick a barrel laying on the ground, channeling my rage at this callous, conceited and ignorant man and send it flying into a glass screen, shattering it. ''We're NOT YOUR technology!'' my words are spat out with utter disdain and contempt for this man. I take a small amount of comfort in the fact he, and the few others with him, cower briefly as the shards of glass rain down around them. I can feel myself cycling air furiously in a desperate bid to find calm and control.

''Let me vaporise this fuckin'' arsehole! Arrogant pansy-arsed wanker he is!'' Roadbuster had since strode over, cocked his gun and aimed right at Joyce.

I do not stop him, nor do I give the word. I hover somewhere in between, in the grey area, in between right and wrong, life and death. Never have I been so tempted to end a life, especially of a human, up to this point. I bring my massive cannon up, as if subconsciously preparing to transition from that grey area myself.

''Prime! Roadbuster!'' Jazz's voice cuts into my haze, ''he's not worth it man!''

''Oh, but it'll feel so worth it Jazz, now fuck off!'' Roadbuster growls at my second.

I raise my servo to stay Roadbuster's servo and I ignore the feral growl of frustration he sends my way.

Instead of sending a look of thanks and showing some sort of repentance, Joyce merely casts me a condescending look. ''Don't you get it! I broke the code. I own your whole genome.''

This man is insufferable and once again I clench my blaster in an vice-like grip as if trying to stay my own servo. ''The world will know what you're doing here.''

''The world?'' this smug bastard retorts. ''The world will approve. We can make you now.''

The final piece of the puzzle falls into place. KSI have been building Transformers using Transformium they have been digging up as well as from the dead bodies of both Autobots and Decepticons alike. I feel my spark pulse erratically in its casing for a moment as this realisation sinks in.

At this point Jazz speaks up, stowing his blaster and placing his servos on his hips. ''Ah yes, Joshua Joyce, tha brilliant scientist an' inventor who for tha past five years has been workin' with your mate, Harold Attinger,'' at the mention of that name, Joyce takes a step back and his mouth drops open. Jazz ploughs on, unperturbed by his reaction, ''ta create an advanced robot army ta aid your military an' revolutionise National Defense AN' get rid of all Transformers, gettin' ridiculously rich in tha process!'' Jazz smiles triumphantly at Joyce.

Joyce stutters, ''H..ho.. how do you know this?'' He glances angrily at the people who surround him, his lackies, silently demanding an answer. He is greeted with blank stares and shrugging shoulders. I feel a sadistic pleasure sweep over me at the sight of this cocky man suddenly on the backfoot.

''Cause we've been watchin' ya dumb prick. For three long years, learnin' all about ye sick secrets ya fuckin' toss pot,'' Roadbuster spat out him.

Jazz laughs, ''Oh Joyce I know so many things about you and your company.'' Jazz leans conspiratorially towards him. ''In fact, there is something I now know, havin' visited ya fine establishment, that you prolly don't and should.'' Jazz paused a moment to let his words sink in. ''Are you sure it's ''us'' you're makin' Joyce? Who have you been usin' for schematics? Who has been feedin' you tha information and design specs ya need? Have your creations turned out as ya planned?'' Jazz nodded in my direction, ''Or do they keep lookin' like somethin' else or someone else?''

Joyce's jaw dropped and he stood there frozen for a moment as Jazz's words sunk into him. The smile I had on my dermas before spread even further. After a moment Joyce's expression changed from one of shock and momentary concern to one of anger and he growled out furiously, ''This is blackmail, corporate espionage! These are very serious crimes.''

''We don't give a FUCK about that!'' Roadbuster spat at him.

Jazz simply stood back, raising his servos in the air in mock surrender and laughed. ''Whatever man! Ya know I'm right. Even if ya won't admit it now,'' Jazz's smile faded, and a serious expression settled on his face as he folded his arms across his chest. ''You will – eventually.''

Joyce shook his head as if trying to banish Jazz's words from his mind. He sneered up at me, and then at Jazz. 'As I said. You don't get it, do you? We can make you, we don't need you anymore!''

That small feeling of pleasure I felt earlier evaporated and I ground my dermas together tightly, shutter my optics in utter disbelief and scrunch up my faceplates. I snort angrily at this misguided and arrogant fool. A cloud of steam billows from my enstrils. A myriad of emotions flood through me; blinding searing anger, a sense of utter betrayal, and regret that I allowed myself to be blinded by the greed and self-serving vanity of this species.

''That. Was. Cruel,'' Hound voiced what I am sure most of the Autobots present felt – how I felt.

Ironhide snorted next to me and stowed his cannons, ''Hunh, they deserve whatever they get.''

At once a thought crystallises in my spark and processor and, although on some level it pains me to arrive at this decision, I have no choice. ''Autobots!'' I turn away from Joyce, a look of utter disdain and disappointment on my face, and I start to walk off. ''We're done!'' They are only two words and yet the weight they carry is immense.

Jazz once again flicked me a concerned and shocked look, as if he couldn't believe I arrived at this decision after all I have said and done to defend the humans. I ignored him. I was done in more ways than one and that included answering to my second over my choices. A darkness and weariness settled around my spark, smothering the light that shone there. I felt cold and empty as I strode towards the exit.

Brains yelled out to my retreating form, ''We're done? We're not gonna kick a little bit of ass?''

I heard Hound grumble, ''I've been itching to kill something lately,'' as he turned to follow me.

''Consider yourself lucky ya fuckin' wanker Joyce. Prime or Jazz may not be around next time ta stop me from endin' ya miserable life fer killin' ma friend Leadfoot,'' Roadbuster threatened before he spat on the ground at Joyce's feet and he too turned and followed me.

I did not look back.