.
The Autobot Files
File #015 - Sugarcoated
"Ooh, Crys! Check out some of these new sports car models! Sexy! You should take one of these!"
Crystal moved her gaze from her own screen to see what Sideswipe was looking at.
"You like those, huh?"
"Oh yeah. Just seeing one of those sleek cars makes my engine rev like-"
"Yeah, I don't think I'm in this to satisfy your fantasies, Sideswipe, but thanks for the suggestion."
The red Autobot just shrugged, unoffended. It took a lot to offend him. "Alright, just trying to help."
"What about you, Sunshine?" Crystal turned to Sunstreaker who was sitting on a stool next to her instead of surfing on one of the computer screens. "What do you think?"
She indicated to her own monitor. Sunstreaker slid off his stool and bent over it on his stomach to be closer to the level of the screen. On screen was the rough outline of the new body schematic Perceptor had been working on for Crystal. It was still extremely generic in design, but it was enough to play with for now. Sideswipe decided he could be helpful by pointing out all his favorite alt mode Earth designs. Crystal was only slightly paying attention to him. Her concern was trying out different color schemes on her new body.
"I kind of like this aqua color. Or maybe like a blue and yellow?"
She looked at Sunstreaker, hopeful for his opinion. The yellow Autobot frowned a little.
"What's wrong with your current colors?"
"Come on, Sunshine, pink? No thanks."
"But...you won't look like yourself."
"That's the idea." She turned her attention back at the computer. "I don't want to look like this any more."
Sunstreaker lowered his gaze to pick at the stool. "I don't think you look...that bad. I mean, I actually kind of like..."
"Alright all of you," Ratchet announced over them. "I need these screens to do my work. Make yourselves scarce." He leaned in before Crystal could get up. "And, if it matters, I like the aqua one."
"Thanks! It's nice to get a real opinion from someone," Crystal said pointedly.
Sideswipe shrugged while Sunstreaker frowned at the medic.
The trio made their way to the med bay exit. Standing in the doorway was Smokescreen.
"Hello," he greeted. "I was just wondering if-"
Sideswipe actually made a hissing sound at him before kicking the door shut in his face.
The twins spent quite a bit of time with Crystal and Prowl knew this. He had informed them earlier he didn't want his older brother anywhere near her. They had confirmed it with Crystal that she thought Smokescreen was making a pest of himself these days and she was sick of looking at him.
Smokescreen, unfortunately, shared that trait with Prowl of finding one thing and obsessing over it until he had his answer. After their first contact with the entity in the artillery closet, Smokescreen had not stopped pestering her for another session. Crystal wanted a break from it and from him. Luckily, she had two bodyguards who didn't mind helping the blue Autobot get the hint.
Even if that response to Smokescreen's presence was a bit much.
"Nice Sideswipe, now how are we going to get out?" Sunstreaker demanded. "We have to go through that door."
The red autobot slumped looking chastised. As she got to know him, Crystal decided Sideswipe was a lot like a puppy. His favorite thing to do was play around, but he was also very eager to please those he liked and was quick to give that lost puppy look when he wasn't given the praise he was searching for.
His downs never stayed down for that long though. Sideswipe quickly brightened again. He picked up Crystal and tossed her over his shoulder. She cried out in surprise and even Sunstreaker looked dubious.
"Streak, we're just gonna run out, okay? Don't stop for anything."
Sunstreaker shook his head but agreed, as he usually did.
The two burst from the door. Smokescreen watched, too stunned to react as they raced past him and down the hall. Crystal's cries echoed back to him as she barked at the twins to put her down.
Once they were a safe distance away, the two brothers fell into a good natured walk, feeling triumphant.
"Alright, bro! Did you see Smokie's face?" Sideswipe grinned, holding up his hand.
Sunstreaker gave him a high five. The run had instantly put him into a better mood.
Sideswipe still had his hand hanging, looking to high five something else. He looked over at Crystal's rear end bent over his shoulder and gave a wicked grin.
Sunstreaker caught his wrist just in time.
"Not a good idea," he warned.
"What? What are you doing?" Crystal demanded. "Put me down!"
"What are you two up to?" Tracks asked them as he turned the corner. He assessed the situation and then an amused smirk pulled at his mouth. "I dare say it's a little primeval to throw a femme over your shoulder and haul her back to your cave. Although... " His smirk went wider. "You are actually showing the world her good side."
"Ack!' Crystal struggled to cover her exposed backside. "Stop staring at my ass you pervert!"
"But it's your best feature," Tracks grinned.
"I have to agree with that one," Sideswipe put in.
"Put me down! Now!" Crystal demanded. She grabbed Sideswipe's waist, trying to get leverage enough to pull her legs from his grip.
"Ooop, oop, you're falling," Sideswipe teased as he let her head fall closer to the floor. He was suspending her by her calves now, but still not letting her go. Crystal tried to grab the ground with her finger tips, but there was nothing to hang onto. By now, all three mechs were laughing and she was not happy at all.
Foot steps were coming up the hall behind them, Crystal twisted, trying to see who it was.
"Mirage! Help me! These guys are all being idiots!"
The Autobot scout approached, wanting to help, but he was hesitant on what to do with his hands. He had no idea where would be a good place to grab her.
"Uh.. what do you want me to do?"
Crystal took the initiative and latched onto his leg. Mirage had no choice, he was committed to the rescue now.
Suddenly offended that she was going to another mech for help, Sunstreaker then stopped laughing and got in on it. He tried to offer his hand, but Crystal slapped him away.
"Back off, you weren't helping earlier," she snapped at him. "Just grab the waist, Mirage, I swear I won't scream rape."
"Better do it fast," Sideswipe teased. "I'm leaving...leaving now."
He began to move away which made Crystal hold onto Mirage tighter. The scout was finally getting up the nerve to grab her around the middle when Sunstreaker decided he would grab her instead. What resulted was a tug of war match with a lot of shouting and Tracks laughing at it all.
"What's going on here?" A very authoritive voice announced. It stopped Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Mirage in their tracks with Crystal suspended between them.
Optimus looked the situation over, arms crossed over his chest. "Is this an appropriate activity?"
Crystal shook her head, optics wide.
"We're just having fun, Prime," Sideswipe chirped cheerfully.
Graciously, the Autobot leader stepped in and removed her from the now pouting twins and a relieved Mirage. Optimus Prime seemed to have far more experience on how to appropriately handle a female and Crystal was grateful for it. The massive Autobot easily cradled her smaller form with just one arm while he held his palm out to his troops.
"Stay," he ordered. Then he promptly turned and walked down the hall to find a safe place to set her down.
While Optimus was not pleased his assistance had been required, he supposed he should be grateful that was the only time he had to intervene. He suddenly missed Elita One. When there had been quite a few younger femmes on the base, she and Chromia were excellent about making sure the horse play didn't get out of hand. Whether or not Crystal agreed, Optimus' plan was to put her under Elita's charge when they brought her to Cybertron. Elita could do a much better job than he of watching out for her and teaching her the social norms of a female Autobot.
"Thanks for the save, Optimus Prime," Crystal told him. "I owe you."
Optimus looked down at her.
"I believe we've had this conversation before, but you do not have to address me by my full title. Just Prime is fine."
"But... but you're OPTIMUS PRIME. You're like this magnanimous presence."
"Just stay away from that group for a while until they calm down."
Crystal saluted. "No problem, Optimus Prime. I have to go see the Dinobots now anyway."
Optimus looked at her. "Is that really an improvement in company?"
She grinned. "Believe it or not, it kind of is."
.
It was time to give the Dinobots their monthly examination. Crystal now insisted they adhere to a schedule for cleaning and maintenance, but they were nowhere in the base. It was nearly April now and all the snow had melted with the coming of the spring rains. It had been drizzling on and off for a few days and everything was as muddy as could be. There wasn't a single Autobot who could go out on patrol without having to rinse in the showers when they returned. Crystal insisted on it. Now that she was keeping up the base, there would be no mud tracked inside or you had to clean it.
For the most part, the Autobots liked keeping clean anyway. Save for a few adventurous sparks like Hound and Trailbreaker. But even they hated getting stuck when the muck got too much. For the Dinobots, however, this was their ideal weather. They had their favorite mud hole where they liked to get really dirty during a good rain. That was where Crystal found them.
"I thought we had an appointment, you guys," she informed them, hands on her hips. It was still drizzling outside. Her armor was already dripping. But neither the water nor the cold bothered her.
"Is good weather for mud bath," Grimlock informed her. "Weather not wait for appointment. Plus you Crystal get mad at Dinobots if we do mud bath after appointment."
"That's true," she had to admit. "What is it with you guys and the mud anyway?"
"It fun!" Sludge insisted.
"Not fun like fighting Decepticons," Slag clarified. "But fun enough."
Crystal shook her head, wondering how robots from another planet managed to build dinosaur robots with animal instincts. The world may never know.
"Come in," Sludge encouraged. He circled his long neck around her to urge her in. "Come play."
Crystal made a face at the mud hole. She had seen what the Dinobots looked like from the inside after something like that.
"Uh, I'm afraid I'll have to pass."
"Why?" Grimlock demanded, tail swishing and flicking mud. "You think too good for Dinobots? Or you think we lie and it not fun?"
Crystal slumped her shoulders. It was so hard to deal with Grimlock when he got that way.
"Fine. I'll try it for a little bit. Just don't roll on me or anything."
She suddenly had a horrible image flash through her thoughts of being steamrolled by a large Dinobot body. A human would never survive. But what would happen to her? She would be pressed into the mud and left there until she petrified and some scientist would dig her up a million years later. But Crystal wouldn't be dead, she would only be crazy from being buried in the mud for all that time.
That stray thought stole a bit of her courage and Crystal only waded in up to her ankles.
"Man, I hope Ratchet doesn't get bent out of shape over this," she mumbled to herself. She was just trying to stay on the good side of the Dinobots. She couldn't be faulted for that.
Once in enough to cover her feet, Crystal slowly sat herself in the mud, being watched by five expectant Dinobots. Once her backside sank in, she realized what a stupid thing she just did. Now, if she stood up, she would have muddy feet and a muddy butt. There wasn't an Autobot on that base that wouldn't notice that.
Her "best feature" Tracks had called it. That pervert. What was up with him anyway? He always skulked around and then insulted or made fun of her. Why was he such a jerk? She didn't recall doing anything to him. Her frown etched deeper as she sat in the mud.
"You no like?" Sludge worried as he crouched next to her.
A long head suddenly popped out of nowhere from the mud.
"Need to get in more!" Swoop squawked and flapped mud all over the place. There wasn't a place on his body he wasn't covered. Crystal jumped back. She had not seen him in there.
"I don't know if I need to get that covered."
Slag growled. "She no fun." He turned fully around to do something else.
The action whipped his tail around and effectively whacked Crystal in the back of the head. Her face went solidly into the mud, soiled rear end in the air. She sputtered and struggled for several seconds. Her face hit the ground so hard the mud just sucked it in and would not let go.
She was finally able to let out a scream when a large hand yanked her out.
"I can't see!" she cried, viciously wiping at her optics.
"Me Grimlock help," said the owner of the hands.
Crystal felt herself thrust towards the ground again where she was bodily swished around in some water. Then she was lifted back out, dripping and slightly cleaner. She again attempted to wipe away the mud from her optics, hopefully before she was given another dip. It helped slightly, but without clean water or a cloth, her vision was hazy.
"Hey there, looks like you're having fun."
Crystal tried to get a good look at who was calling her from below. Though she already knew the voice.
"Hey Jazz, what's going on?"
He grinned "Nothing much, just saw you over here and wondered if you needed a knight in shining armor to come save you from the dragons."
"Not dragons!" Grimlock barked. "Dinobots! And not need saving. Me Grimlock make sure her Crystal fine."
Crystal peered at Jazz through the haze of her muddy vision. "Besides, looks like this knight's armor could use some spit and polish himself."
Jazz looked down at his own body caked with mud. "Heh, was out on patrol with Hound. It's slippery out there."
Swoop hopped out of the mud, covered from beak to tail. "Jazz play with Dinobots?"
The second in command took a step back. "Uh, normally I wouldn't mind, but too much mud makes Jazz a slow Autobot." He rolled the wheel on the side of his foot to show Swoop how badly the mud stopped it from turning. "If I'm gonna race any Decepticons today, I gotta go get cleaned up."
"Hmm...Jazz stay ready to fight Decepticons," Snarl approved. "Is good warrior."
"Dinobots no need clean to fight," Grimlock reasoned. "Can fight Decepticons anytime."
"Makes you a better bot than I am," Jazz agreed. "Now about your lovely assistant. We certainly don't want our only eye candy looking like that, do we?"
Crystal smirked. She already knew she looked like Quasimodo compared to real Autobot females.
"Har har, Jazz."
Nevertheless, Gimlock's hold on her changed as if he was suddenly reminded of what he was carrying. Instead of manhandling her like a rag doll, he slowly lowered her as if she were made of china.
"Her Crystal just try to keep Dinobots happy. Me Grimlock sometimes forget."
She waved him off. "No worries I don't mind. In fact, I like-"
Jazz took her face in his hands, making her forget what she was saying.
"They didn't even give you any optic shields, huh? Looks like you and I got the same problem." He rubbed at her optics with his thumbs. "I get mud on my optic band and I'm flying in the dark, too."
It helped a little. But metal fingers weren't much help cleaning glass. Crystal didn't care for the sensation of Jazz's metal fingers in her optics. Her human instincts jerked away from it.
"It's fine, I'll clean them in a second." She bent back from her grip and turned to address the Dinobots. "I still want to give you guys a maintenance check up today. You make sure you go rinse in the river REALLY good before you come see me. Clear?"
There were mumbles from the general group.
"Me Grimlock make sure," their leader insisted.
Crystal nodded her satisfaction and joined Jazz to walk back to the Ark and toward the wash wracks. Cliffjumper was already in there, cleaning up after one of his own patrols. He was nearly finished, shining his spokes when he looked up to see who was coming in and gave Jazz a cheeky grin.
"You two got pretty dirty out there, didn't you?"
At first, Jazz grinned at the question but then instantly frowned when he caught the obvious double meaning.
"Have a good time rolling around in the mud, Jazz?" he added in a quieter voice. "It looks like you did."
Crystal had already moved on to get to cleaned up.
"This is completely unrelated," Jazz insisted, motioning to both Crystal and himself.
Cliffjumper glanced over to where Crystal was now bent over, washing her face. "I'll bet it is."
"Out," Jazz demanded of the smaller Autobot.
Cliffjumper took his time getting up and sauntering proudly out the door. Jazz slammed it shut behind him. Cocky mini bot. He didn't know what he was talking about.
"I'll leave a towel on the door so no one disturbs you," Cliffjumper sang from the other side.
This time, Jazz didn't respond. Let him think what he wanted. At least he was the one sharing the wash wracks with her instead of certain other Autobots he didn't quite trust in that situation.
Crystal stood with her back under the shower head. Her arm was opened up to the joint. She never had mud in her inner workings before. The sensation was gritty, but not painful. She wanted to feel it in her finger joints a little longer before cleaning it out.
Jazz turned on the shower next to hers and braced himself against the wall before dunking himself none too gracefully under the solvent. He let it run down the nose of his chest armor and then rinse off this back. He tried to keep his attentions to the wall, but his gaze kept wandering back to the smaller figure beside him.
The solvent was hot and steam was filling the room. Crystal had her hands in the shower now, feeling how the solvent slipped through her finger joints and ate up all the dirt inside. She was still muddy everywhere else. He could help her with that if she wanted. There was something fun about putting his hands on something smaller, more feminine...
Jazz shook himself. What was he thinking? He needed to get out of there and put some distance between them. That seemed like the proper thing to do.
"Where are you going?" Crystal asked when Jazz started to walk away. She was now standing with her back in the shower. "You're not even done." She nodded to the wheel's at Jazz's feet still so caked with mud they hardly turned.
He gave a sheepish grin after looking at his feet. "Heh, you got me there. I guess I wasn't thinking."
He sat himself on a bench to hurry and take care of the problem.
"Turn around," Crystal ordered playfully. "I'd like at least a little bit of privacy."
She had gotten used to using the wash racks with the other Autobots around. After all, it wasn't like any of them were naked. Or were capable of being so. But that didn't mean she wanted an audience when she scrubbed all the mud of her rear end.
Jazz smiled to himself as he politely rotated to face the wall. Then he set about the difficult task of trying to clean his spokes. Even as a robot, it wasn't easy to reach the back of the outside of his feet. Even his joints didn't bend that way.
"Here, I got it," Crystal said as she took a bucket over to the faucet. "Put your leg up."
Jazz propped the first foot up on the bench and Crystal set about opening the correct panels to get better access. She had a sponge in her bucket and began scrubbing out all the muck in those very hard to reach places.
"Okay. Next one."
Jazz obeyed and alternated his other foot on the bench.
As she worked, Crystal paused when she felt another wet sponge run down her arm.
"You're still muddy, too," Jazz explained.
"Oh? And are you going to help me with that?"
A smile tugged on the side of his mouth. "If you like."
Crystal spun the tire on his heel. It turned beautifully now.
"You could use some extra scrubbing yourself," she informed him as she got up. "Come here."
She pulled him towards the shower and turned it back on. Before Jazz could comment, she was already taking a sponge to his back and dutifully scrubbing at the places he couldn't reach. Jazz stiffened at her rough scrubbing. This wasn't quite how he imagined it.
"I think you need to spend more time out of the med bay. You're getting too good at bossing everyone around and just pushing them on through."
Crystal paused. "You think so? I guess I have gotten too into the work routine. I don't do much else."
"I noticed. You're like Prowl. You try to keep yourself busy so you don't have to think about other things.
Crystal got quiet at the mention of Prowl. She went back to scrubbing, but it was softer now. She took her time to clean the inner workings beneath the hood on Jazz's back. He didn't have any mud there, but that area didn't get cleaned much because it was hard to reach. Crystal made sure to give it special attention.
She paused and pulled back when she heard a familiar, pleasant rumbling of Jazz's engine.
"You like that, do you?" she grinned.
Jazz returned it. "Certainly can't complain when being pampered by a lovely lady like yourself."
Crystal shook her head. "You and your purring. It just makes me laugh."
He turned and took the sponge from her. "Can I return the favor now?"
Crystal had an amused grin on her face. "I don't think I'm capable of purring."
Jazz loomed over her. Playful, grinning. "I'll find out for myself, thanks."
"Alright." She turned and presented her back to him.
Jazz started at her shoulders and very lightly scrubbed his way down, careful not to push too hard.
"After this, then can we wash each other's fronts?"
Crystal threw him a look. "You are just awful sometimes."
Jazz was about to respond with something cheeky when a sponge was shoved in his face.
"We're going to have to wash that whole dirty processor out," Crystal sang.
Jazz sputtered and tried to move his face out of the way without using physical force, but it wasn't working. Crystal wasn't backing down. He had no choice but to bodily pin her to the wall so he could get a hold of her arm to stop the assault.
Crystal was still laughing. It took a few moments for her to settle down.
"So you think since you're small I'll just let you get away with doing whatever you want, huh?" Jazz challenged.
"You know you like it," she shot back with a grin.
Jazz grinned back, plotting his next move. But Crystal beat him to it.
"So why don't you ever come see me?" She suddenly put on a serious face. "If I want to see you, I always have to hunt you down."
Jazz was a bit surprised by that question. He didn't back up, but he did go on the defense despite the fact that he was the one pinning her to the wall.
"Well, ya know...been kinda busy with work and all..."
"Uh huh." Crystal sounded extremely unconvinced.
"Hey, I DO have things to do, you know," Jazz defended.
"Yes, I'm well aware of that, Jazz. But I'm also aware you have a talent for making time for things that are important to you. So what is that supposed to mean to me when you start disappearing?"
Jazz frowned at her. "Primus, you really want to bust my ball bearings today, don't you? You are important to me, Crys. I would love to come around, but...what about Prowl?"
Crystal tipped her head, confused as to where the conversation was heading. "Prowl? What about Prowl?"
Jazz looked down. "Well, you know with all that he's been through lately...you've been good for him. You've been helping him get through it."
"So you've been staying away...because of Prowl?" Crystal clarified. "Oh no, I don't accept that at all."
Jazz raised his head again, uncertain of her tone.
"You know I love Prowl," Crystal continued. "But he's been projecting this...other female, this other experience on me since day one. And now I'm his emotional crutch while he tries to come to terms with it. I don't mind being there for him, but this idea that I can't see anyone else so I can be available to him is ridiculous. I also find it ridiculous that everyone seems to think it's my job to try and fix this problem he and his obnoxious brother created for themselves. No thank you."
Jazz finally moved away and let her go, feeling a bit chastised on behalf of Prowl and Smokescreen.
"Hey." Crystal grabbed his arm to pull him back. She put both hands on his face to keep his attention. "I mean it, I want to see you more." Her smile returned. "You're one of my favorites, you know."
Jazz grinned back. He knew these days he was in competition with quite a few Autobots for that title, but he still liked to hear it. He leaned into her again, resting a fist above her head so he could lean his forehead on it. Now he was boxing her in in a completely different way and it changed the atmosphere in the room.
"So when is he best time to come by? Do you prefer me during the day? Or..." He moved in even closer. "Do you prefer me after dark?"
Crystal laughed, delighted. She loved their bouts of innuendo they got into. She missed that. It really was a great way to let loose, have fun, and forget to be serious for a while. Truthfully, there wasn't an Autobot on the base that made her happier to be around. She needed to be able to just joke around with someone without worrying about anything else. That was why she needed him.
And maybe, though she tried to ignore it, all the silly comments weren't completely in jest. That was the most fun of all.
A deep clearing of the throat got their attention. Smokescreen stood in the doorway, watching them. Jazz was suddenly nowhere near her as if he had been chased away. For whatever reason, that really annoyed Crystal. Especially when Jazz quickly excused himself to get back to work and all but fled the washroom under Smokescreen's judgmental gaze.
Since when did Smokescreen dictate what Jazz did? Crystal hoped it wasn't all somehow still related to Prowl, but she had a feeling that it was.
"What do you want?" she demanded as she stalked up to him. "Don't you ever get tired of poking your nose in my business?"
"Not at all," he replied smoothly as if it were everyday conversation. "I was just wondering if this was how you enjoyed spending your free time when no one is watching."
Crystal didn't think that comment was worth a response and moved passed him down the hall. Smokescreen was quick to follow.
"Are you in love with him?"
Crystal almost stumbled at the question. The idea had never even entered her mind. It felt like such a foreign concept to her. And of all Autobots whose business it was, Smokescreen was the lowest on that list.
Since he was not getting any response, Smokescreen decided to change his tactics and come after what he really wanted.
"I just thought I'd drop by to find out when you wanted to visit the artillery room in the back again."
"I'm afraid I do not have any such plans in the near future," Crystal replied curtly, picking up the pace.
With Smokescreen's bulk, despite him being about the same height, he had to work to keep up with her.
"What do you mean? We have work to finish," he insisted.
Crystal stopped on her heels and Smokescreen almost ran into her. She spun around, optics flashing.
"Listen to me, there is no 'we'. There is just you and your stupid obsessions. And I don't want to be a part of them."
She turned to go and he gave chase again, now following her outside the Ark.
"Why are you walking away from this?" Smokescreen pressed. "You were there. That spark indicated it believed something bad would happen to Cybertron. Don't you care?"
"Just because some robot who died four million years ago thinks something is still going to happen doesn't mean he's right," Crystal shot back.
"But don't you want to know?" Smokescreen's voice rose higher with passion. "Come on, Crys, I can't do this without you. Believe me, I've tried."
She spun on him again, hands on hips. "Yeah, you don't have permission to call me that. And this kind of thing is not something I like to talk about that much, okay? I need break from it."
"Fine. Let's talk about you and Jazz then."
Crystal looked skyward, shoulders slumping. "Why? Why do you keep asking me these questions? I don't ask you about your personal life!"
Smokescreen stopped and opened his arms to her. "Fine. What do you want to know?"
Crystal sighed. "I don't want to know any—fine. Why are you so insistent on talking to this dead Decepticon? He's your enemy. What makes you think anything you find from him will be good information?"
He gave her one of those boyish lopsided grins he had. Crystal had once tried to picture Prowl give that look. She couldn't imagine it.
"This Decepticon died in a ship that we used to build the Ark," Smokescreen informed her. "I researched this vessel. It's old. We're talking dawn of the war old. Decepticons back then were different from how they are now. Back then, being a Decepticon meant one main thing: that you had a fierce pride for Cybertron and you weren't afraid to show that to the rest of the galaxy. So this thing that spark referred to, this threat was real to Cybertron at one time and as a Decepticon of that time period, he would go to any lengths to stop it. And even if it's not a threat now, I want to know."
Crystal shook her head as she flopped down on her favorite spot at the base of the volcano. Being around Smokescreen was tiring. He sure had a lot of vigor in him for an Autobot that was supposed to be so old.
"How old are you anyway?" she suddenly asked. "Bluestreak said you're older than a lot of the Autobots here, but you certainly don't look like it to me. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that Prowl was your older brother by the way you two act together."
Smokescreen sat himself next to her, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh, yeah. Prowl had to do a lot of growing up in a short amount of time. I'm afraid a lot of that was my fault."
"So what's your secret then?" Crystal wondered, genuinely curious. "What keeps you young?"
Smokescreen looked thoughtful for a moment and then leaned back on his palms to look up at the sky.
"There is a man in your Earth history named Juan Ponce De Leon, are you familiar with this name?"
Crystal, who had never had good grades in history, shook her head.
"Really now, your planet is hardly that old, you should know your history."
"Yeah, your history is easier because it's the same names over and over because you all stay the same," Crystal shot back.
"True," Smokescreen relented. "At any rate, this human spent a good part of his adult life time looking for the fountain of youth. He fought and bled and died for this mystical thing, but never found it. At the end of his days he looked years older than he was. The search to become young had done quite the opposite to him."
Crystal tipped her head at him, not sure what he was getting at.
"You see, he didn't know the secret," Smokescreen explained in a cryptic voice.
"The secret of...?" Crystal fished.
"Of the search," Smokescreen responded with a certain glint in his optics. "It isn't the fountain that keeps you young, it's the adventure of looking for it."
Crystal looked thoughtful. "I see. So that's what drives you, the search, huh?"
"Of course, it isn't for anyone," he said as he leaned back. "My first search was looking for our creator who disappeared. Prowl didn't handle it very well."
"Did you ever find him?"
His door panels seemed to wilt a little. "No, we didn't."
Crystal pulled her knees up to her chest. "Have you stopped searching?"
"Nope."
"Well, I hope you find him someday."
Smokescreen gave her a lopsided smile. "Heh, me, too, kid. Me, too."
.
Dr. Fujiyama paced back and forth as he waited for the train. It was carrying very precious cargo, his life's work. His Nightbird.
Twenty years ago it- she- had been his biggest success and also his greatest failure as the Decepticons got a hold of her and quickly reprogrammed her with methods far more advanced than even he understood, even now. Since the Autobots returned her, Dr. Fujiyama had kept her in storage and turned his attentions to much smaller projects. But Nighbird had always been in the back of his mind.
He had vowed to the Autobot leader he would never reactivate her again. But this wasn't quite breaking his promise. He was taking her to a specific research facility created for the sole purpose of learning how to properly integrate Cybertronian technology with that of Earth's. He hoped he could learn more about what the Decepticons added to her programming and increase his own research.
Of course, the first task was getting her down there. A large semi with a flat bed was waiting to take her the rest of the way as the train finally pulled into the station. Dr. Fujiyama went straight to the sizable casket-like container and turned to the transport team he hired to make sure his Nightbird made her journey safely.
"How did it go?" he asked the team foreman.
"Great Doc," the larger man replied. "Not a scratch on her, see for yourself."
Behind Dr. Fujiyama, one of his team was making desperate cutting motions as he spoke. He stood next to the robot's holding case glancing worriedly inside. The foreman's gut sank. He hoped whatever part of the robot was broken wasn't coming out of his paycheck. He heard these things were expensive.
Dr. Fujiyama climbed up to see what the damage was, hoping it wasn't anything important. The foreman was thinking the same thing.
They both looked into the box and gasped.
"It's empty!" the scientist gasped.
"Well we sure put it in there before we left," the foreman insisted. "I'll be damned if I know how someone could steal a giant robot right off a train. Excuse my french, Doc."
Dr. Fujiyama turned to look back down the train tracks as they disappeared into the horizon. He had a feeling that his Nightbird had not been stolen, but she herself had done the stealing right out from under their noses.
.
Megatron plotted, as he often did. As his underlings often did as well. For energy, for the cause, for themselves. The life of a Decepticon was one plot after another. It's what helped one rise; what kept one on top. What kept others believing that doing what Megatron wanted them to do was also beneficial to themselves as well. There was always something to do, something to think about. Some plan in motion that kept his ranks working like the well oiled machine he had carefully sculpted.
Below his thoughts was a subtle, yet insistent ringing in his processor. A steady tone that was trying to communicate and would not go away. It took a while for Megatron to notice it, but once he was aware, it had his attention. It was a communication signal. One that did not have any words, but let him know the location of the individual who was sending it. There had been only one member of his team that gave off that kind of signal and, while her service to him was brief, Megatron had yet to forget her.
"Nightbird..." he murmured to himself as he stood.
Plotting would have to wait. Action was required now.
.
Though made of metal and bolts and wires, she moved like a shadow, silent and undetected. As the time before, she slipped past all early warning systems that littered the Ark. The Autobot base was designed to detect the energy signatures of Cybertronians. Nightbird was neither from Cybertron nor did she give off such a signature. Teletrann found her presence to be of no more consequence than an automated repair drone. Thus, the intruder easily slipped into the base unnoticed.
While it had been Megatron's orders that had originally sent her to the Ark the first time around, it was not his influence that brought her back again. The Decepticons had given her a mission, a purpose, when they gave her higher intelligence. But before that, another program had been installed by her creator. Dr. Fujiyama built her in the way of the ninja. Nightbird had failed her first mission and the code of the ninja demanded she recover her honor. Only then could she return to Megatron. Otherwise, she would die trying.
In order to do this, she would have to be swift, silent and deadly on the first strike. The base was full of enemies. She could not afford a single mistake.
After assessing what she knew of the base from the last time it was infiltrated, Nightbird decided to begin at a side wing where very little traffic went. All it contained was a lab with hardly any inhabitants. They would be easy to take out and a perfect place to stash bodies where they wouldn't be found anytime soon.
Through the vents of the Ark, Nightbird slithered her lithe frame until she peered through a grate into Wheeljack's lab. Her yellow optics quickly scanned for energy signatures. There was only one. The hunched form of Wheeljack tinkered without suspicion dead center in her view.
Noiselessly, Nightbird slipped out of the ventilation duct in the ceiling. The inventor was still unaware he had an extra bot in his lab as she suck up behind him. His hunched position put his neck cables in perfect view and Nightbird raised her small dagger as she loomed over him.
Then came a sudden blow.
.
Autobots all over the base raised their heads from whatever they were doing as the warning klaxon sounded throughout the Ark. There were different alarms for different emergencies. One to rally the troops to roll out to face Decepticons, and one to alert the base that seriously wounded were returning. The third kind of alarm put fear in the spark of every Autobot. This one meant there were intruders in their home.
The source of the emergency signal had come from Wheeljack's lab. The closest group of Autobots available rushed to the lab doors and stared at what they saw inside.
The lab was in complete shambles. Wheeljack had his back pressed against the wall, indecisively pointing his weapon at that battle going on in the middle. There was no way to get a clear shot. Tables and chairs were knocked over and all sorts of things had been broken on the floor as Nightbird fought with a very unexpected opponent.
She had no idea who this bot was. Pink, female, a bit shorter than her. Nightbird had no information on this bot at all. But this unknown had stopped her from her killing blow and was now matching her strike for strike.
Crystal had just happened to wander in through the open lab doors when she saw the stranger with a weapon about to attack Wheeljack. There was no time to think, only act. Nightbird soon found she wasn't the only one at the base who could attack silently.
Several Autobots now stood at the doors of Wheeljack's lab, watching in a stupor as the two females battled within.
Nightbird was on the offense, throwing punch after punch. Crystal artfully dodged each one, not even straining to keep up with her speed. She took her time, watching how Nightbird moved with each attack. Then, when she saw her opening, Crystal parried a punch just so as to knock Nightbird a bit off balance and then kicked her with surprising strength right in the mid section.
Nightbird flew into the wall, but just barely managed to dodge as Crystal's fists came rushing for her face. Her fist collided with the wall, leaving a dent, but it didn't phase Crystal in the least. She was already spinning around to attack again. Now it was Nightbird on the defense.
The two females fought for their lives in the limited area. Prowl had his blaster in his hand by now, but the two were moving so fast, there was no way he could get in a clean shot.
Sideswipe watched the fight with wide optics before turning to Prowl.
"Please don't make them stop fighting," he entreated. "This is the coolest thing I've seen all year."
Prowl hardly had time to give Sideswipe a disgusted look before Crystal got in another savage kick on Nightbird. The ninja stumbled back, flipping onto a table. From that vantage point, she could see how much attention she had gained. Her good sense told her she was not going to win this battle now. The shadows were where she worked best. With her cover blown, it was time to go.
For a moment, she looked as though she was going to attack again. Crystal was ready. But instead, she turned and dove back into the ventilation. Before anyone could stop her, Crystal jumped into the table and rebounded into the shaft as well. The opening was too small for any of the Autobots to follow.
While Wheeljack was scratching his head at the opening, Prowl had already switched on his connection with Teletrann One.
"Teletraan, give me a map of all the air ducts on the base."
A holographic map appeared above his wrist and Prowl frowned as his worries came to light. There were a myriad different places Nightbird could go. Immediately he began delegating Autobots to any possible exit. Remembering the damage Nightbird was able to do the last time, Prowl was in a hurry to find her. They had to catch this intruder before someone got hurt.
Meanwhile, Crystal was hot on the intruder's heels as she crawled through the ventilation system. She had no idea who or what this robot was. She knew what the Decepticons looked like and this wasn't one of them. All she knew was this robot had snuck into the base and tried to kill, or at least severely injure, Wheeljack. And Crystal did not take kindly to that type of behavior.
A fresh wave of anger washed through her again as she recalled what the intruder almost did. Crystal crawled faster after the robot and managed to grab her foot just as Nightbird was trying to get out through an opening. She was not going to let this one get away so easily.
Nightbird didn't utter a sound when she was caught, but she did viciously kick at Crystal until she let go. But that didn't stop her any. Being a robot now, a kick to the face was nothing and Crystal almost grinned at the convenience of it. That stupid robot could kick all it wanted, it didn't hurt at all.
The exit poked out of the side of the volcano and Nightbird broke into a run. Her only thought was to get away and disappear so she could rethink her strategy. But Crystal wasn't going to allow that. She was quick to follow and was now chasing Nightbird on foot through the countryside, away from the Autobot base. And she was gaining.
Nightbird wouldn't have guessed this harmless looking bot would be that fast until Crystal plowed right into her back and knocked her face down on the ground. Crystal's first instinct would be to roll her over and start punching in the face. That would work if she were fighting a human, but she wasn't. She had to mentally remind herself these were robots and as such, different strategies were in order.
Robots couldn't be bruised and Crystal already knew a face shot wouldn't hurt her opponent. To stop a robot you had to either damage it with force, switch it off, or disassemble it. Crystal wasn't strong enough to punch through that armor. And she had no idea where this robot's main operating system was or how to get to it. That left only the last option.
Crystal shoved her fingers into Nightbird's shoulder strut and pulled out whatever connector cables she could. Nightbird managed to get a foot on her chest and kicked Crystal off her before she could do any more damage. Both quickly jumped to their feet and faced each other. Nightbird's arm was now hanging useless at her side.
Crystal smirked. If she stayed smart, she could win this.
With her good arm, Nightbird reached into her hip compartment and withdrew a few throwing stars. She tossed them at Crystal before she could figure out what they were. This was not something she ever trained for, but Crystal managed to dodge the first one. The second, however, grazed her arm. It had some kind of electric field around it that not only allowed the star to cut clean and deep, but her cables received an unpleasant shock as they were severed.
Surprised at the pain, Crystal grabbed her arm. She could feel a curious buzzing numbness there now, but it still worked.
Touche shadow robot.
The two squared off again. Crystal was determined not to let the same thing happen twice. She could still take this thing, whatever it was.
Before either could attack, a stream of laser fire from above tore up the ground between them. Both looked up for the source. A whole posse of robots descended from the sky. None of them were Autobots.
Crystal backed up a few steps to make room when they all landed between her and Nightbird. There were five in all. Three jets and a dark blue one. All of them tall and menacing. The large gray one in the front was huge. As big, if not bigger than Optimus Prime. Crystal suddenly knew this wasn't a fight she could win anymore.
"What in Cybertron's name is going on here?" Megatron demanded. His confusion, like all his other emotions, came out as anger.
Nightbird stepped in front of Megatron and bowed formal and respectfully. Megatron looked pleased.
"Nightbird, I knew you would find your way back to me again. You have done well."
Starscream looked disgusted.
Megatron didn't notice as he turned and looked at Crystal with a frown of disapproval. It took all of her effort not to back up more than she already had.
"What is it?" Skywarp sneered. "It looks so...weird."
Megatron squinted at her. He didn't know the answer to that, but the red insignia told him all the information he needed.
"Autobot scrap," he spat as he aimed his large fusion cannon at her head.
Crystal had never seen a weapon so large. She could clearly see down the wide barrel as it powered up. So close to another death that she didn't even have the sense to move. Not that running would help her anyway.
A shot was fired. Nothing so powerful as Megatron's fusion cannon, but it was enough to knock the large weapon right off Megatron's arm. He growled as he grabbed his arm where his cannon used to be.
Something black and white stood between Crystal and the group of Decepticons.
"Jazz!"
She had never wanted to hug him more.
"You stay behind me," Jazz told her. "It will be okay, Crys." He was brandishing his own blaster and Crystal had never heard his tone that serious before. She could merely nod and do as he said.
"Well, well Autobot," Starscream scoffed as he and his fellow seekers all pointed their weapons at him. "You're in a hurry to die today. Are you sure you want to put your spark on the line for that?"
Jazz didn't respond and he didn't fire. He knew one shot was all that was needed to bring every Decepticon down upon him. He had no choice but to wait.
Starscream, however, hated waiting. He shot his null ray, hitting Jazz in the shoulder. Jazz jerked from the hit and growled, his shoulder smoking. But he still didn't move.
"Jazz," Crystal whispered. She didn't know what to do. Never had she felt this helpless.
"Just back up and stay behind me." Jazz tried to herd her away from them while keeping his optic band trained on the enemies. But the Decepticons were not going to let that happen.
Suddenly, Crystal felt thick arms around her and then there was a strange rushing sensation. One moment she was standing behind Jazz, the next she could see him in the distance and she was surrounded by the Decepticons. A large hand clutched her jaw.
"I could just rip this right off," Skywarp sneered. "It would be easy."
The other two seekers laughed.
Jazz clenched his jaw. He hadn't counted on Skywarp to sneak behind him like that. At first he had tried to stay calm to assess the situation. But when the Decepticon had put his hands on her like that and threatened to harm her, Jazz allowed his self control to drop. Crystal could have sworn she saw a change in him right before her optics.
Despite being outnumbered six to one, Jazz charged and fired. His first shot hit Skywarp right in the face. He instantly dropped his hostage and grabbed his optics, screaming that he couldn't see.
At that instant, Soundwave, who hadn't moved the entire time, stepped in. He fired two rounds from his regular blaster, both of which Jazz dodged. The third shot came from his concussion cannon. Jazz twisted to avoid the hit, but a corner of his optic band cracked from the sonic waves.
A surprise to Soundwave, the power to the cannon on his shoulder cut short before he could do more damage. Behind him, Crystal had grabbed the thick cord that connected the cannon to his back and yanked it out. Soundwave whipped his arm around, catching her right in the neck. Crystal flew to the ground, stunned.
Soundwave turned just as Jazz came for him and grabbed the smaller Autobot's fist when he tried to punch. Effortlessly, Jazz was lifted into the air, hanging by his arm. Crystal scrambled to her feet to help when she was hit hard in the back. Something sharp sliced through her armor. She thought it strange she could feel every inch as it cut through wires and motors and engines. The tip of the blade poked out the front right where her heart would have been before it was yanked back out.
Crystal turned around and saw Nightbird, holding a dripping sword with her good arm. She tried to react, but her limbs were getting heavy for some reason. Her back felt wet as different liquids seeped out of the wound. It felt as if the whole world was going faster than she was.
Jazz saw Nightbird going for a second attack. In desperation, he kicked at Thundercracker who was closing in and then shot Soundwave square in the chest with his blaster. Surprisingly, Soundwave quickly turned and dropped the Autobot, trying to protect his glass chest and what rested inside. Jazz's feet hit the ground and he lunged for Nightbird.
Crystal was having a hard time processing what was going on. She knew something important was damaged and she was going offline. Nightbird was coming again, but she was having a hard time getting her body to respond properly.
Nightbird stood over her, blade poised to attack when Jazz came out of nowhere. The look on his face was indescribable. It was so full of deadly intent, it didn't even look like him anymore. He grabbed Nightbird by the head and slammed her face into his knee. Her yellow optics shattered on contact. Jazz's fist then punched at her thin chest armor. Two punches, that was all it took and he was through. His hand went inside and came back out with several sparking wires and a still whirring motor. Nightbird's body fell lifeless to the ground.
Crystal tried to get to him, but her legs wouldn't work. They were losing strength. He reached for her, but then several Decepticons rushed him. Crystal fought against her failing body, but she couldn't even will it to call his name. She felt herself collapse and saw Jazz disappear as the other Decepticons swarmed around him. There was nothing she could do. Her vision was fading.
The last to go was her hearing. At first she heard yelling and then all she could hear was a heavy sound like thunder. And then there was nothing as her systems finally shut down.
.
Crystal's world flooded with bright lights. At first all she could see was pure white, then color and forms sharpened as she sat up.
"There we go," said Ratchet. "Fully operational again."
She looked at him and then at her surroundings. She was suddenly back in the Autobot med bay as if it were all just a dream.
"That was a nasty stab," Ratchet continued, reminding her it was no dream. "Took me a while to clean you up and I had to replace quite a few things."
"What happened?" she gasped. "I thought I was dying."
"We got there just in time," Ratchet explained. "Practically every Autobot on the base poured out there when the Decepticons flew in. They took off the second they saw they were outnumbered."
"Thank goodness," Crystal sighed. "I tried to fight them, but there were so many. I didn't know they were all that big. One of them just grabbed me and it was like-"
"Hey, don't worry about it." Ratchet sat himself next to her on the examining table and put an arm around her. Crystal didn't admit it out loud, but she was glad for the comfort. "It's over and we got there in time. We weren't going to let you two fight them off alone."
"Oh my gosh! Jazz!" Crystal suddenly remembered as she pulled away. "Is he okay?"
"He's fine. He took a good pummeling on the outside, but most of his internal systems were undamaged. He's recharging right now."
Crystal was already off the table and dashing for the door faster than Ratchet could call after her. A moment later, she ran back in to hug the medic around the neck in thanks. Ratchet stumbled from the attack and patted her back before she was off down the hall again.
.
Once in the recharge room, Crystal could only stand next to the recharge berth. She had been in such a rush to see him, it didn't quite compute she couldn't actually converse with him unless she stopped the recharge process and woke him up. She didn't want to do that after what he had been through.
She lay her cheek on the lid of the berth. What a dear friend he was. How brave to lay his life on the line for her. She counted herself lucky to have him come to her rescue. She could have been killed if he hadn't been there. The fact that she was happy to still be alive was strange. It was the first time since awaking in this body that she was relieved to be alive and it shook her. She wanted to live. Even if it was this life in this body, she wanted to live.
She switched off her optics, feeling the hum of the berth as she reveled in that. Then she turned to go. She would have to catch Jazz another time. But as she left, the lid opened up and a black hand reached out and snatched her wrist. Crystal was yanked inside with a startled squeak before the lid closed behind her.
Bumblebee walked by, thinking he had heard something. But everything in the recharge room looked normal. It was quiet with only one berth in use. So he continued on his way.
Inside, it was a tight fit. The two had to press tightly against each other in the narrow space. Jazz's bright blue optic band was the main source of light.
"Hey," Crystal smiled gently at him.
"Hey yourself."
She reached up and touched his optic band where it was cracked from Soundwave's concussion cannon. Ratchet would help him install a new one later on.
"You okay?" Jazz then asked.
"Fine, and you?" Crystal looked pointedly at the gaping circuitry on his chest where the nose of his car mode used to be.
Jazz looked down at himself. "Yeah, it got dinged up pretty good. Rachet's going to hammer out the dents before putting it back on. No biggie."
"Good, I'm glad." She settled down and made herself comfortable next to him, resting her forehead against his cheek. Jazz put an arm around her and pulled her in close while Crystal idly stroked his other cheek with her thumb. "If something happened to you, I don't know how I would handle it."
She felt his whole chest rumble when he chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. You still got me for a while yet."
They lay together in companionable silence. Crystal was in heaven, laying next to Jazz's spark and feeling its deep, calm rumble resonate through her body. But there was still something on her mind that wasn't letting her be completely at rest. That battle, how Jazz had looked as he tore up Nightbird. How he didn't look like himself at all when he had fought the Decepticons.
"So that Autobot I saw out there, fighting for our lives, is that the real you? You slipped into that other mode so easily, is that how you usually are on Cybertron? Do I just get this sugarcoated version of you while I'm around?"
Jazz was quiet for a moment, his finger idly tapping her arm as he thought about it.
"They're both me I guess. I gotta have my face for war to do what I gotta do. But I also can't forget that even though we've fought as long as we have, war isn't the only thing out there. Maybe one day I can leave that part of me behind, but it is still a part of me. Just as, I am sure, there's different parts to you as well."
"This is true. But I most definitely like this part of you better."
Jazz shifted and made a sound in his vents akin to a sigh.
"So do I, Crys. So do I."
.
Prowl had stopped by the med bay to get the report from Ratchet on Jazz and Crystal's injuries only to find the medic wasn't in. That was a bit unusual since, according to his information, Jazz still needed some repair work done. He hailed Ratchet's radio frequency and found the medic in Wheeljack's lab. Strangely enough, Ratchet was the only one in there. Even Wheeljack himself was nowhere to be seen.
Ratchet was just standing there, staring at the wall when Prowl entered.
"Ratchet."
The medic looked up, though he seemed to be distracted.
"Oh, hey Prowl. I left the report on my desk. I forgot to bring it in to you."
"I can retrieve it myself right now, thank you." Prowl turned to go, but stopped as curiosity got the better of him. "May I ask what you're doing?"
Ratchet fingered a dent in the wall. "Crystal made this dent. She punched the wall during her fight with Nightbird."
"Yes, I see,"Prowl nodded. He waited. There was sure to be more.
Ratchet fingered the dent again and then punched the wall himself. Any other room, Prowl would have protested to the treatment of the base, but Wheeljack's lab had so many dents in it anyway, one more wasn't going to hurt it. Ratchet removed his fist. The dent he made was larger than Crystal's, but it only went slightly deeper than hers.
Prowl finally understood. "She shouldn't be that strong."
"No, she shouldn't. And it's not because of anything I did. I asked Wheeljack if he's made any modifications to her and he said he hasn't either."
"Interesting," was all Prowl had to say.
Ratchet frowned and shouldered past Prowl and out the door, walking with purpose. Prowl hurried to follow. Ratchet went right up to Crystal's room and opened the door. Prowl was about to object that it wasn't proper to go in when she wasn't there, but Ratchet was already inside.
He stood in the tiny room with his hands on his hips, looking around him. Not that there was much to look at. It was simple and small with a single cot as the only furniture. There were a few vid pads hung on the wall with the pictures Jazz had taken of Cybertron. On one side, Crystal had removed one of the wall panels and rerouted all the wiring behind it so she could make a small shelf. Right now it sported all the odds and ends she had received for Valentines Day.
That was all there was to see in the tiny room at first glance, but Ratchet was not convinced. He kept looking for something else. The first place he searched was under the cot. He folded it up and fingered the wall paneling beneath it. It was loose. Ratchet pulled it out to discover a drawer Crystal had hidden in the wall. It was full of tools.
"Ah ha!" Ratchet stood in triumph, he was onto something. But he was still searching for something else.
He eyed the walls, looking for something that appeared out of place. They looked normal, but there were also several thin panels littering the walls that were not noticed at first glance.
Ratchet pulled at one, out came a chart, hanging on the wall. He pulled out more. Charts, instructions, schematics. One of the items in particular had notes and pictures about Brawn's gear designs and how to make gears stronger.
"Damn that kid," Ratchet grouched. "She's too smart for her own good. She keeps getting into things. I can't keep up with her."
Prowl looked at the different manuscripts thoughtfully. "She's eager to learn. That isn't a bad thing, is it?"
Ratchet frowned at him. After his breakdown, Prowl took a few days to lick his wounds and get his systems straightened out. Now, strangely, without his battle computer he was a bit more mellow than he used to be. As if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Most of the Autobots seemed to like it and thought it was about time for Prowl's gears to wind down a little. Right now it was getting on Ratchet's nerves.
"Do you see this?" He tore one sheet off the wall and shoved it in Prowl's face. "This is the schematic for a battle computer. Do you want her putting one of those in herself?"
Prowl finally frowned and Ratchet felt vindicated.
"She can't just go experimenting on her body whenever she wants. She needs proper supervision or she's going to damage herself."
"Agreed," said Prowl seriously. "Let's have a talk with her."
.
It was much later, after Crystal had time to rest and recharge, when Prowl called her into his office. This was something new. She had never been called into Prowl's office before. Ratchet was also there. This might be interesting.
"Is this about me trying to take on Nightbird?" Crystal wondered. She had since been briefed by Jazz exactly who Nightbird was and where she came from.
"Partially," Ratchet said. "But one step at a time. Hold this for me please."
He held out what appeared to be just a small chunk of metal. Crystal took it and found out it was much heavier than it looked. Her arm instantly fell to the side, weighed down.
"Just as I thought, you blew out your joint already," Ratchet accused. "That's what happens when you go fiddling with things you don't fully understand. You're going to break yourself faster than anyone else could ever do for you. Decepticons included."
Crystal had to use her other hand to lift the metal back into Prowl's desk.
"And who's fault is it that I have to resort to doing this myself?" she said. "You want to keep me this helpless, weak little thing that doesn't know anything. Every time I try to learn you always frown at me. Any time I try to give myself any kind of upgrade you always try to stop me. I have to learn how to do this!"
"I don't understand why you keep trying to do these things behind my back," Ratchet argued. "I tell you no sometimes because it's not a good idea. But other things, I can help you with them. Why don't you want me to help you?"
"Because one day you're not going to be here!" Crystal shot back with so much emotion her voice cracked. The office went silent, both Autobots too surprised with her to say anything.
"I'm not stupid, I know you're in a war and when I go back to Cybertron, I'll be in it to. What if something happens to you or Wheeljack or Perceptor? What if I end up somewhere without any of you? I need to know how to take care of myself and how to repair my own body. And I'm learning to do it the best way I know how, okay?"
Ratchet didn't say anything for a while. But then he picked up the metal object and started for the door.
"Come in tomorrow, I'll fix your joints and show you how to install them properly," was all he said as the door closed behind him.
"Poor Ratchet," Crystal said to the door. "He's so bent on sheltering me, but I can't help him. When he tells me no, I just want to do it more."
"I'm sure I wouldn't know how he feels at all," Prowl said as he got up from his desk.
Crystal looked at him.
"Why Prowl, is that your attempt at being sarcastic?"
"You found it only as an attempt?" Prowl wondered as he herded her out of his office. "Perhaps I will try harder."
"No need to try too hard, I like you just how you are."
"I see." Prowl was currently looking through the files he held, but he sounded pleased. "And I hope you do know that no matter what happens in the future, even if Ratchet isn't there, I will always be."
Crystal smirked. "Good." She suddenly whipped around and threw a punch at him with her good arm.
Prowl was surprised, but still fast enough to catch her fist in his palm without dropping his reports.
"You can't go anywhere until I get a chance to see how good you really are." There was a look on her face Prowl was unused to seeing.
"You want to...fight me?" Prowl wondered, completely baffled at the sudden change in subject.
Crystal was grinning with a certain determination in her optics. "Oh yeah, ever since I first saw you in action. As soon as I get my new body, you and I are sparring. Promise me."
Prowl gave her a shadow of a smile. Suddenly that side of Crystal he wondered about ever since he saw her in that ring started to make sense. That side that she kept hiding under that sugary sweetness of hers. "You still surprise me. Every time I think I have you figured out, you throw something like this at me."
"So is that a promise?" Crystal pressed.
"If you wish it, but I don't promise you will win."
Crystal grinned. "We'll see about that."
Close File #015: Sugarcoated - Jazz
