JEM: On The Cutting Edge of Rock
Jem and all related characters are property of Hasbro. All other characters are property of their respective owners.
Chapter 1: Final Arrangements
Starlight House– Los Angeles
The front door of the old Victorian mansion creaked open as Jerrica Benton walked in, her eyes immediately gravitating towards a slightly younger woman with bright red hair standing at the bottom of the staircase.
"Sorry for ruining your trip like this," the latter said.
"You don't need to be, Kimber, It's not like you or the others could've done anything. Though speaking of, where are–"
"Trying to find some last-minute flowers and catering."
"How many attendees can we expect?"
"The four of us, Rio, Mrs. Bailey, Joanie, Eric, and someone named…Doctor Halsey, I think?" Kimber answered, shrugging. "Said she worked with Dad on some project or something back when."
Jerrica sighed. "So, where's the service?"
"Forest Lawn Memorial at 10:30 tomorrow morning."
The next day
"We gather here today to honor the memory of Emmett Benton, a beloved friend, father, and colleague," the minister said. "First to speak is one of those colleagues– Doctor Catherine Halsey."
An elderly woman with a missing left arm walked up to the podium next to the coffin. "When I was working with Emmett back in the day," she began, "I couldn't help but think the world of him. To see an intellectual equal such as him having the time to not only push the boundaries of technology, but to also run a business, a charity, and be a devoted family man–how couldn't I help but admire him?" She sighed. "Which is why it pains me to say that after Jacqui's death, I had to be the one who watched him lose his mind."
Jerrica's inflamed, tear-filled eyes shot open at Halsey's remark, while a vaguely Hispanic man about her age sitting next to her began to shake in anger.
"Yes, grief is a perfectly normal emotion," the elderly woman continued, "but it's no less disheartening to see such a brilliant man so utterly consumed by it." She sighed. "To watch his devolution from a genius to a complete and utter flake…honestly, I wish I didn't have to see it." She turned to the coffin. "Here's hoping you finally find some peace," she said to it before walking away.
"Um, thank you, Doctor," the minister said as he returned to the podium. "Next, we have one of Emmett's business partners– Mister Eric Raymond."
"Rio," Jerrica said to the man next to her, "save it until after the burial."
Rio gritted his teeth and nodded, but a look of murder lingered in his eyes as he watched a smug-looking man in an Armani suit take the podium.
"Like Doctor Halsey," said man began, "when I met Mister Benton, I couldn't help but be impressed by his accomplishments. Also like Doctor Halsey, I had the misfortune of seeing him completely flake out…"
Rio's face grew increasingly red as he listened to the speech, eventually reaching the point where he looked as though he'd go completely berserk.
Joanie, Mrs. Bailey– either of you, please have something good to say. Jerrica thought as she watched Eric walk away, followed shortly thereafter by an older-looking blonde taking his place.
"Unlike some people," she began, shooting a furious look at both Eric and Doctor Halsey, "I will not speak ill of the late Mister Benton. The man was a rarity in the world of modern business– honest in his dealings, fair to his subordinates, and a consistent champion of all manner of good causes." She sighed. "Even if he had his…oddities after Jacqui's passing, I can't recall him ever being unfair to any of us at Starlight Music." She sighed again. "Rest in peace, Mister Benton," she said. "You've earned it."
The sound of a polite applause rose up from the other mourners.
"Thank you, Miss Stuart," the minister said. "Moving on, I believe it'd only be appropriate if we heard from some of Emmett's family, starting with his eldest daughter and her rendition of 'Amazing Grace'. Miss Jerrica Benton, would you do the honors?"
Jerrica nodded and walked up to the podium, a swarm of butterflies fluttering around in her stomach as she did so.
You can do this, she thought as beads of sweat rolled down her face. Just keep calm and everything will be all right.
A few moments later, she assumed her position behind the mic, looked down at the papers in front of her, and took a deep breath.
"A-A-Amazing G-G-Grace," she stammered, "how sweet the s-s-sound, that saved a wretch like m– oh God, I can't do it!"
Everyone stared at the blonde as she crumpled into a heap, tears running down her face. "It's…it's–"
"Sssh," Kimber said as she walked up to her big sister. "It's all going to be okay, Jerri."
Later that afternoon
"You have my deepest sympathies, Jerrica."
The eldest Benton daughter looked up from her salad plate to see Eric standing nearby.
"I bet you do, Mister Raymond," she venomously retorted.
"Please, call me Eric."
"She has all the help she needs, Mister Raymond."
Jerrica turned around to see a furious Rio standing a mere few feet away from Eric.
"Butt out of this, buster," the latter snapped.
"Yeah, right! 'Deepest sympathies', my ass– not even two hours ago, you were calling Emmett a flake!"
"If the shoe fits…"
Rio's only response was a fist directly to Eric's face, sending the latter to the floor and right into the path of a nearby waitress with a head of red and yellow streaked hair.
"Sorry about that," Jerrica said to the waitress. "Rio here means well."
The waitress looked at the prone Eric, a scowling Rio, a nervously smiling Jerrica, and then back to Eric again. "Are you sure about that?" she asked, her voice carrying a vague New England accent.
"Considering that toad on the floor was badmouthing the late Mister Benton, yes," Rio bluntly replied.
The waitress let out a sigh. "I swear, every funeral I've done, there's always been someone like that," she said.
"Again, sorry about that, Miss…" Jerrica piped up.
"Dwyer."
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Well, it's been a while since I last ventured into this particular fandom, hasn't it? Yes, it's a shiny new Jem fic, with new features such as a more consistent setting (that setting being the universe of LuisJM's Transformers Prime: Season 3 fics as well as my own Red vs. Blue: The MECH Chronicles– though depending on what direction Luis takes his own stories in, it might become an AU), more stuff from the IDW series (namely Jerrica's stage fright and the presence of the comics-exclusive character Leah "Blaze" Dwyer), and Jem and co. not being so closely associated with some of the setting's major movers and shakers like in Musical Illusionists.
As for who Doctor Halsey is, she's a character from the Halo franchise (in case you haven't read LuisJM's TFP fics, a recurring thing in them is that he reinterprets characters from video games like Halo and Gears of War into something that'd (roughly) fit into a setting like that of Transformers Prime). And if you're familiar with both that franchise and Jem, you'll have a pretty good idea of how she fits into things here.