Jazz watched the video, his jaw gear dropped and optic visor up. Granted, the human video of their best quality a half-geared seeker on high grade could discern but he wanted to see every detail. Solspark danced and arched, the movements matching the pulsing beat of the song. A tingling went through his spark, seeing her in his favorite passion of music and enjoying it.
::Prowl to Jazz:: The low priority request carrying a video tag attachment popped up on his personal comm line.
::Watching it now:: Jazz answered, already anticipating. Both mechs as command had a sub routine set to alert when new Transformer stories or items trended, once discovering Starscream's fuel raids as they happened thanks to an environmental group filming geese nests.
::Authorized?:: Prowl asked, his tone indicating he knew the answer but an official requirement to document.
::Not by me. Not against the rules, for charity and public relations reasons. And I guarantee it was never her processing to start with:: Jazz reminded.
::Agreed. Her identity remains unknown, the random fan clubs listing her as party dancing femme:: Prowl noted, the disapproval tone in his vocals clear. Not over her having human attention but the humans continual disrespect to their age and wisdom using adjectives like party, rolling or hot bot.
::Video has over forty-eight thousand views and building. More than the crash video of Cliffjumper into Ironhide's rear bumper last year:: Jazz noted, taking multiple screenshots to store in his personal processor.
::Estimated to reach approximately three hundred thousand eight hundred plus views before being replaced by kitten or an actress meltdown video. Please remind Solspark the rules on social media activities :: Prowl
::You process she will do more of these?:: Jazz speculated, wanting to dance with her.
::No. But a denial of requests will sound official and not personal when she quotes the rules. Command clear:: Prowl
Cross posting the video to his Transformer fan club Jazz made one surprising discovery. A new member with a Cybertron city designation of Kaon. His spark city, destroyed by Megatron even as its inhabitants were enslaved, promised freedom out of the gladiator pits to be forced into the Decepticon army. Tracking the sign on brought another surprise. 'Solspark? That is her profile, her holograhic driver next to her alt mode. Why Kaon?' he processed then realized her file didn't include her sire city or clan. 'One more thing to trade or discover,' he chuckled, sending her a welcome from the club Treasurer funbot4Jazz, himself.
Arriving at the Ark Hot Rod took the teasing good naturedly from the other mechs over the video. Few made any comments to Solspark, respecting her as a femme and a hero rescuer of Bluestreak.
The wash racks followed by an energon top off were prioritized before Solspark checked the video upload numbers, not expecting to find it anywhere but ignored. 'Are you glitching serious?' Fifty-nine thousand? Primus, what is Hot Rod going to pick for my upgrade? Then again, it couldn't be any worse than the bolo lasso from Hound. Must make a note to ask him why physical, and not an energy version. Deal with it tomorrow.'
The morning alarm screamed, her arm flailing to hit it. The screaming sound of her alarm matched the Ark's trouble alarm, annoying but necessary to reach her deepest recharge. The sound stopped, followed by the oddest metallic sound as though two sharped edges objects were scraping together, as her optics snapped open with new protocols. She saw one of her static daggers impaled through the small device, locking it into the wall 'Scrap! That would have damaged the mural in our other rooms.'
"The weapon protocols reacted to your negative emotions towards the alarm. Need to set recharge locks by a nano second," Jazz commented dryly, standing alongside with energon in hand.
"Hmm, if I loved it would I wake up to it wrapped in my arms by my spark, purring?" She teased, accepting the energon.
"Depends on what it is and how much you loved it for it to purr back," Jazz teased back, folding his arms and looking smug as her fans kicked up several notches.
"I only have space for one thing next to my spark."
"The Matrix of Peace."
"Your spark," she corrected before full processing, drinking down the remaining energon. Leaning back to drain the cube, she missed his huge smile and his fans kicking up slightly. "What is today's training lesson?"
"Survival. No mission is worth your life, the ultimate failure is not completing a job but offlining while doing it. Monitoring by Decepticons using their own gear or ours or humans always poses a threat. You can be discovered and tracked remotely to never know it. Extract a data cube, stay hidden and return to base online and functioning. Hot Rod is an assigned watcher, Arcee with me in the command center to brush up her Teletran skills with the Wreckers and Dinobots playing 'cause they be needing the practice," Jazz briefed.
Solspark nodded, recognizing his slang use meant the drill had hidden surprise or two. And her new tech could surprise back, once she figured how to control it. A quick check on the internet surprised her, the video now at over one hundred thousand views and hits. 'I am so slagged.' Six hours later she owed Hound an apology, after surviving the training.
::Would you stop wriggling! You are worse than a first framer. They will hear us! Earth rock on metal creates sound pings:: Solspark reminded, glaring sidelong at the mech holding her tightly from behind. Both of Hot Rod's arms wrapped around her mid frame, above her hips but below her chest plates. Lying together, his feet crossing over being taller and the opposite way his head nestled above hers. The wide wing arch on his back rested flat against the rock, keeping them stable on their sides. Besides Jazz, he was the only mech she would have trusted that close without receiving weapons fire from her. 'I swear he is like a spark twin, thoroughly annoying and always there.'
::Sorry. Your energy patterns are tingling my system and I can't block it:: Hot Rod answered, half his systems disabled to prevent noise and tracking by his fellow Wreckers, including sensor shielding as a collateral effect.
::Powering this large a hologram is not easy for this long. Even at half systems, I had to reboot backups I haven't used since second frame, could have had any major glitch in files that old archived besides the two minor I had to banish. A little tingling you can survive. And you can thank Jazz for the suggestion. No bot pays attention to the floor, or ground in this case:: Solspark answered, digitally checking the edges. Mixing into the cracked rock face, they appeared part of the debris at the cliff base via hologram. In the meadow nearby, the Dinobots wandered around still trying to track them as part of the drill. The sun directly overhead prevented shadows to betray them or requiring her to extend the hologram area to move as the shadows moved.
::Now this is a good plan. No ion cannons, collision impacts or damage. Are they ever going to give up? I can't take this much longer:: Hot Rod said, shifting again.
"Any sign?" Springer's transmission monitored, hacked and heard by them both. Hot Rod knowing every Wrecker frequency and encryption they could use, hers the ability to boost and listen in, even if she didn't tell him how she could do it. Why the Matrix helped this time she had no idea but was grateful it kept them from being discovered as her strength increased. Locked under her chest plates, it blazed in strength as the day Prime Axial had transferred it, without outward effects for which she was grateful. The transform would not have been explainable or controllable.
"Negative," Kup answered. "Crazy rocks disrupt signals. They must have gone beyond the boundaries. Blurr is on it. I'm sending the Dinobots to the east side. You take west. We must find them. This reminds me of the Altair mission. There I was, tracking a robo beast through the far mountain ridges."
::Our cue to go:: Hot Rod sent.
::Not yet!:: Solspark corrected quickly. ::Incoming! Above us!::
Swoop soared above them, his wings outstretched as the metal flyer hovered to check for movement below. His beak opened in a relaxed way, the wind whistling across his metal wing plates as he continued diving and rising.
::Dinobots. Perpetuating the myth that Pterodactyl are dinosaurs:: Hot Rod watched, marveling at the deadly length of the metal talons visible even at that distance.
::They are not the same?:: Solspark.
::Pterodactyl is a flying reptile:: Hot Rod stated.
::That certainly clears things up. Not really:: Solspark answered.
Swoop dove to skim the cliff edge before soaring high towards the east, the displaced air from his wings creating a small slide of tumbling rocks. The rocks fell through the hologram, pinging off their armor as Hot Rod shifted over her deflecting and protecting. The hologram fizzed as she lost concentration before shifting to reform perfectly, never noticed by the aerial flyer. Zipping across the sky, Swoop moved beyond sensor range.
::That was close. Looks clear finally:: Hot Rod sent, as the energy tingling increased. Moving one hand, he slid it up the armor above her spark, intending to tap higher on her shoulder to signal leaving. Power washed over him at the contact, a presence recognizing and accepting Hot Rod as it searched the intents of what he would do and could do like a crashing energy wave he could not resist.
Solspark vented deeply, her hand over Hot Rod's above her spark. She felt the Matrix humming approval before sealing close, recognizing Hot Rod as it had her. His destiny different, waiting. She focused, filling her processors with memories of Jazz laughing, his touch when he was reassuring her, and even his anger; an anchor against the dark memories triggered within her by the Matrix.
"Jazz? Cybertron to Jazz?" Arcee repeated, waving her hand by his visor. His white paint reflecting her pink armor as she moved closer to confirm his visor dark, his frame unmoving inside the Ark command enter. His hand rocketed up, grabbing hers and locking down around it, possessing. Bracing, Arcee twisted trying to break the hold and flip him away from Teletran One in a combat move. He never flexed but spoke one word.
"Solspark."
"She is not here. I am Arcee, a friend. Jazz let me go. That is an order, or I will make you let go," Arcee stated calmly, trapped in his hand. Her long sword slid into her other palm, deadly and waiting. Unpowered, it remained a honed blade that could dent his armor, without taking his arm off. The command center otherwise empty, Arcee was hesitant to call for help for the other Wreckers. 'He's capable of hearing any transmissions, even encoded. Do this the old-fashioned way,' she processed, inching the sword higher. Abruptly he released her, ducking his head as though taking a hit.
"Solspark?"
"In the field, we are trying to find her and Hot Rod. Your exercise on keeping hid after their online video posted. Your orders Commander," Arcee stated while backing away rapidly, the sword replaced with blasters appearing on both arms. The sheer blazing power of his visor startling her matching the strength in his grip.
"Arcee? Why are you armed?"
"You grabbed me while zoned and wouldn't let go." Arcee rotated her arm, the pressure marks faintly etched in the metal from his grip.
"I did? Felt like I was needed elsewhere," he muttered, scanning the monitor display. "Time to change tactics. Dinobots fall back and Wreckers regroup by the Ark entrance. Let them come to us."
Solspark ran to the tree line, watching Hot Rod half stumbling behind her as he reset. The path ahead empty as expected, her entire focus on reaching the goal line had her taking off sprinting, Hot Rod could catch up. She slammed into air as though a hitting wall, topping over as unfamiliar touches moved across her frame. Pinned down by weight, Solspark reacted grabbing and twisting at the invisible touch by her midriff to have Mirage solidifying before her with a cry of pain.
"I'm sorry," she yelped, instantly letting go of his arm. "You were invisible."
"And your signals masked and my attention forward," he grumped, easing out to the side away from her. "You should have not been able to hit me, slipping inside my range. Jazz trained you well in that gentle femme." He smiled, disappearing.
'Not yet,' she processed, realizing dormant stealth systems were active. A gift from her favorite Combat Captain, the unique overlay allowing her movements hidden from any other bot for short durations on retrieval runs even as it drained her energon rapidly. Once detected, it was worthless as any scanner could lock onto its next use. But why had it triggered now? Her protocol reset or an unarchived file conversion missed?
"Sols, or should I say Alice? You had an encounter with a Cheshire cat. You better stick close to me," Hot Rod teased, helping her up when Solspark tackled him as Springer's rocket struck, glitter exploding everywhere. Radioactive tagged and tiny the glitter particles would stick to any surface and be trackable even on Mirage or Hound. The green helicopter roared past, climbing into a tight loop before circling back. "That is the last time he works with Bumblebee and human younglings," Hot Rod snapped, his leg plates glam red and white sparkle.
"No, you better stick close to me," She teased, sending a low-level pulse to neutralize the radioactive tagging on them both. Demagnetized as well, the glitter slid off as he shook his leg, Solspark containing her laugh as he resembled a dog shaking itself dry.
"You are full of tricks aren't you?"
"Experience. 'Cons tried a variation outside of the Vos ruins," she explained, searching for Springer on her tracking. The seeker like signal triggering a layered response mixed with data files, now unarchived and active. The need to hunt and take down her prey surged across field programming to dominate. Springer's airborne signal disappeared, Solspark rapidly flipping her systems to ground knowing he was a triple changer with a surface rover mode. He would not escape.
"Vos?"
"One of the first five cities destroyed by Megatron. Vos, Tarn, Helex, Kaon and Tesarus." Anger ran through her, the pain remembered at their destruction. She missed Hot Rod narrowing his optics at her tone or the shifting of her optic color. Her long sword dropped into her palm, the blade tip curving with her emotions.
The green armored vehicle raced around the trees, accelerating directly towards them on the open road. Running at Springer, Solspark retracted her sword, changing to three balls on a coiled chain as systems calculated his favorite attack style. Neither changed course, closing the distance rapidly towards each other. "Engage!"
Springer transformed, the thrusting power of his legs combining with his retro thrusters for height. Her aim sure, the bolo soared up to wrap around his blade base, trapping his upper body as the glitter pack hit her, showering over her armor. Flailing up and over, the warrior mech struggled with his arms pinned and unable to transform falling head first.
A blur of red and gold flashed across her vision as she spun on her feet pads with her sword out to finish. The stun blast flashed too quick for her to block, sending Solspark falling backwards tingling. Nearby Hot Rod crouched, Springer caught safely in his arms before laying the fellow Wrecker on the ground with Springer's greater weight nearly collapsing them both.
"Cut me loose!" Springer commanded, struggling on the ground. "Where are you going?"
"Blast was quarter power, should not have knocked Sols down," Hot Rod yelled back, scanning her medically with his visor down. "What is with her energy overlays?" The patterns scrambled and distantly familiar before fading away.
Her optics snapped open, bright blue and focusing on him. "Sols are you?"
Metal clanged as her fist impacted across his jawline. The punch knocking him sideways, her attack an auto defense triggered by Special Operations coding, weapons blocked by her own coding protective of him. "Oh scrap," Solspark stammered, orientating to sit up.
"Ah, youngling love," Kup smiled, cutting Springer loose. The aged warrior approved of Solspark the more they saw her reactions, not Wrecker level but good.
"What is her problem? Mood swing?" Hot Rod shook his head before clambering onto his feet pads and off chasing her, the femme running all out to cross the finish line.
"Swing? They bounce, pivot, recoil, rebound, oscillate, fluctuate and occasionally pirouette lad. That's what makes a femme worth having around, if you can keep up," Kup yelled after him chuckling.
The post brief occurred in Prowls office, the room borrowed and secure from monitoring, Arcee standing by the Wreckers with her wrist a subject of concern and ribbing. "I could not shift Jazz. He should have flipped backwards and released me."
"You sure you used proper technique?" Kup suggested, pantomiming the motion.
"Yes. Its like he was magnetized to the floor, but he wasn't. I scanned and his systems were barely functioning. "
"Could Jazz and Solspark be fully spark mated? And they didn't say?" Springer suggested.
"Why?" Ultra Magnus asked, not seeing the relevance.
"Sounds like he felt Solspark somehow. Zoned out and ran on basic coding. Classified Arcee as a friendly threat, hold without harming."
"Possible. Mated pairs know when the other is in danger or need. Elita One called to Optimus on a whole different world once in her distress," Magnus explained.
"I never heard that," Kup admitted, intrigued on missing a story.
"And you still didn't, not from me." Ultra Magnus stated, crossing his arms and straightening full height inches from the ceiling, the chest temporary paneling protecting the half-repaired damage unpainted and obvious.
"Solspark was fighting, not in distress. Hot Rod and she made it almost back to the start line when the Dinobots spotted them," Springer reminded.
"Ran them over you mean. Hot Rod is still getting dents pounded out of his armor from Grimlock and her punching him, poor lad," Kup chuckled.
"Newly spark mated they would not have these fights right?" Arcee asked.
"Hah! Ironhide and Chromia had their first fight the night they sparked. Ended up in med bay the next morning," Kup countered before they turned back to the couple of interest standing on either side of Prowl's desk, their arguing continuing back and forth.
"No bot caught us!" Solspark stated, slamming one hand on front of the desktop.
"The Dinobots did. The mission brief was to stay hidden, extract the data cube and return to base. Which you failed to even achieve half of," Jazz countered, staying calm and professionally externally. His frustration on her arguing and missing the point of escape being critical to survive any mission overlooked again irritating him. Was she even really trying?
"This cube?" Solspark snapped open her other hand, the multi-faceted shape flashing. "We were hidden! What was your first question? How were we not seen sooner? Next time I will blast Grimlock, a designated friendly who should have been on our side! Everything else we did as specified sir." She sat the cube down on the desk, spinning to release the information to prove it was the required one.
"You retrieved the cube. What do you want? A medal?"
"I have several already. Stored in a box," she countered.
"Plans change. You trusted appearances that Grimlock seemed friendly, waving you both across the finish line before attacking. You of all bots should," he stopped. The char mark on her shoulder armor was gone and replaced with the bright red symbol of the Autobot faction, the longer tapered jawline for Special Operations. How had he missed that in the earlier rules briefing? Her energy signature overlaid with faint Matrix energy and an offbeat pattern to her normal systems cycling an indication of her hard running, an indicator she had gone all out to win. Again.
"Take your judgment and up shift it Commander," Solspark leaned forward, her optics filtering with red as he hesitated, hurt by his realization the symbol was missing and unnoticed until then. "Mission parameters were achieved when I crossed the finish line with the data. Hot Rod was not in those orders as a designated watcher. I was as Operations. Mirage could not stop me nor Springer. I did exactly as ordered this time. Dismissed?"
"Dismissed."
"And that is why I am single," Arcee chuckled while following Solspark out, temporarily assigned to team with her until Hot Rod returned.
"I should be ashamed of my behavior. Let's be clear, I'm not," Solspark stated to Arcee, both walking down the hallway towards the lift. Her systems ran hot, cooling fans slowly adjusting more with her emotional strain than physical demands. Activating old coding left her scrambling for modern locks, the Matrix memories interlacing to add anger she could not explain. Then the surprise attack had triggered her instincts to protect Hot Rod, crossing back across the finish line ready to flatten the Dinobots before they abruptly released him. Battle protocols ready and unused matched with the post brief left her irritable.
"Training can be stirring," Arcee chided, liking the hot temper she was seeing in the other femme as the lift moved between floors. "You would make a good Wrecker. We challenge command all the time."
"The challenge is I am trying my best. I don't have to win. I would settle for Jazz liking my trying," She followed Arcee off the lift and into the Wreckers temporary quarters, needing to unwind. A faint cyber headache added to her irritation, code conflicts banished to a holding file until she could figure out the issue.
"Some bots will only like you if you fit inside their parameters design. Don't be afraid to take that design and shove it up their aft," Arcee advised, opening a hidden panel and handing her a purple energon cube.
"High grade?"
"More potent refueling, Wrecker style."
"I make bad decisions on high grade, or at least the once and tend to avoid ever since," Solspark admitted, leaning against the counter edge.
"Not to brag," Arcee chugged hers, not spilling a drop with her speed. "I can make bad decisions without high grade."
To be continued…
Author's notes: Multiple historical references. Megatron did destroy the five cities and enslave Kaon. Transformers canon though ancient history. In Transformers Move 1985 on Lookout Mountain Hot Rod engages a special scanning visor to see the shuttle. Jazz's race car number is 4. fun bot 4 Jazz. In bayverse movies, Optimus sword tip changes depending on the fight, guessing its per his emotions. Elita called to Optimus on a different world is mentioned in my fic If an Autobot do not do the following and another TF fic, A Loss of essence by fantasyaddict101. Until all are one.