Day 21

"This is an announcement. It is now 7 am. Have a wonderful day."

"Ugh…" Jazz groaned as he woke up from recharge. The spy grunted as he pushed himself up and brushed aside the datapads scatted on the berth onto the floor before getting up on his feet. 'Feel asleep early…' he thought as he walked over to the bathroom and headed for the shower. 'Haven't cleaned myself in a while. Been too busy researching,' he thought as he stepped in the shower and turned it on to a scalding temperature and let it washed over him as he thought things over.

'My memory seems the same, which means I know nothing. Going by what Monobear said last night, the next motive obviously has to do with memory in some way. I was actually hoping it affect me so that I can finally learn the truth. That way, I can probably learn who the mastermind is and finally make sense of the data. Monobear must be taunting us. No. Taunting me.'

Jazz sighed as he just washed himself.

'I need to find the one who has recovered their lost memory. Whatever it is that they remember, they're far more dangerous than they previously were, if we just leave them alone. I need to interrogate them and uncover what they remember. Whatever information they hold must be key to identifying the mastermind behind this killing game.'

Jazz grabbed the anti-rust gel are started rubbing it on.

'If I was the mastermind, and I wanted to target someone with potentially dangerous information, I would go after the most vulnerable ones first. So who would that be? Dead End seems obvious. He's been acting more and more withdrawn. His fellow gestaltmate is no better. Serial killers are always dangerous. Which leads to Smokescreen, most unfortunately, that bastard. He managed to fool me into thinking he was just a down on his lucky gambler, only getting into scuffles over money. He purposely murdered anyone who stood in the way of making a profit. Swindle should feel lucky Smokescreen didn't silence him as well…'

Jazz shook his head as he finished applying and rinsing off the gel before turning off the shower and walking out, grabbing the two to dry himself off and head out after he found himself sufficiently cleaned.

'Just past 7. Guess I better halt my research for now and meet up with everyone for breakfast. I might be able to gauge their responses and figure out which of them has recovered their memory, if that is what I believe has occurred.'

With a goal in mind, Jazz set out for the cafeteria, exiting the room and looking around to see if anyone was around. With nary a soul in sight, he headed for the stairs and descended them down to the first floor and made his way to the cafeteria and looked inside. There, the only one he saw was Blurr, who was simply drinking a cube by himself. Upon hearing the footsteps, Blurr turned to see Jazz and started smiling upon seeing him and waving him over.

"Hey, Jazz! Come on over. You know I hate being by myself," Blurr told him and Jazz chuckled at that.

"Guess you do," Jazz agreed as he went over to the kitchen to grab a cube of energon and took a seat next to the racer. "So, guess me and you are the first ones here."

"Well, not really. Bludgeon and Knock Out arrived just after me to get some cubes for themselves, Nautilator, and Hound," Blurr informed him. "We chatted for a minute before he headed off to give them their energy."

"Ah, well, that's good," Jazz nodded. "Got to make sure they're okay as well."

"Yeah. From what I heard, Hound and Nautilator should both be able to walk around today and leave the med-bay permanently, if all goes well," Blurr told him happily as he drank his rapidly depleting cube.

"Well, that's good. I'm sure they've spent more than enough time in that damn place," Jazz grumbled as he drank his cube a lot slower. "So, what do you think this motive is?"

"Has to be remembering something. You remember back before we were given the fourth motive and found the basement under the mall?" Blurr asked Jazz, who nodded. "Well, if you remember, Bludgeon and Nautilator found this datapad from one of the previous contestants of this game who, for the sixth motive, just started remembering everything."

"Hey… you're right, I do remember," Jazz nodded.

"Yeah, Bludgeon reminded me of that when we talked," Blurr informed him "He had been thinking on it long and hard and he is pretty sure that will be the motive, as am I."

"Well, glad we're in agreement. I've been thinking that was the case as well," Jazz confirmed. "So, the motive must be our lost memories."

"Oh, don't remind me of motives," they heard a voice complained and turned to see Drift come in as he quickly got a cube and took a seat across from them, having looked like he too a fresh shower to clean himself having drinking so much last night. "That's the last thing I want to talk about."

"Well, we kind of have no choice, as that motive is in effect now," Blurr told him.

"Well, I still don't remember anything," Drift told them.

"Neither do I," the racer remarked.

"Same," Jazz agreed. "It's why I came down here. I wanted to see if the person who remember would tell us, or at least be able to figure it out."

"Well, good luck with that," Drift sighed depressingly.

"Are you okay?" Jazz asked him.

"I am. It's just…" Drift didn't finished the sentence, but they both could tell Drift was speaking of Ratchet.

"Drift, it'll be okay," Jazz assured him. "We'll avenge everyone."

"I find that more unlikely with each day… but I know Ratchet would be pissed at me if I just give up right now," Drift said with a sad chuckle.

"Huh, he sure would. He would kick of all asses if we just give up," Blurr remarked.

"Yeah… best make sure Ratchet's sacrifice wasn't wasted," Drift said.

"Not a bad thing to want to do." The group turned to another new voice, that belonging to Mixmaster with Scavenger trailing behind him.

"Hey, you guys. Come on down," Jazz offered and the two nodded as they got their cubes and took a seat, Mixmaster next to Drift and Scavenger right beside his gestaltmember.

"So, how are you two today?" Blurr asked them.

"We're fine," Mixmaster assured him. "Pretty sure the motive isn't affecting either of us."

"Yeah, sure," Scavenger nodded nervously and Jazz watched him carefully.

'Scavenger is looking fishy… but then again, he is always nervous about everything, especially since Smokescreen is still around…'

"So, this motive is memory-based, right?" Mixmaster asked and they nodded before explaining to the two about their theory about it being like motive in the deceased student's datapad. "Hmm, yes, that does seem to make sense as a possible motive for Monobear to inflict on us."

"Exactly what we're thinking," Drift told him.

"Well, how do we fight against this motive?" Scavenger asked. "If it's in people's mind, we can prevent them from remembering."

"We know. That's what we're trying to figure out. First, we need to identify them," Jazz stated.

"And then what? Confine them to their room?" Drift asked him.

"That might be an acceptable thing to do, yes," Jazz nodded. "At the very least, we need to interrogate them about what they remember. We need to know."

"And what makes you think they will tell you what they remember?" Drift asked him. "They remember it all. Who knows what horrible things they remember?"

"It's would a bit terrifying remember everything again," Blurr remarked. "I mean, just imagine all the missing years coming to you all at once."

"It would probably drive someone insane," Scavenger remarked.

"Not probably. Definitely," Drift remarked.

"Oh yeah, so if that's the case, it should be easy to figure out who got their memory back, right?" Scavenger asked.

"Just look for the one who's acting more unhinged," Drift remarked before pausing. "Unless it's Wildrider, then he might actually act more sane."

"That would be interesting," they heard another voice said and turned to see Dead End walk in, Sparky tucked under his arm as he got a cube and took a seat a bit away from everyone. He took note of their weary looks and gave a sigh. "No need to look at me like that."

"Says the bastard that got Ratchet killed," Drift growled.

"Your anger is justified, but will help no one, unless myself if you're planning to kill me," Dead End stated.

"I just might…"

"Drift, calm down," Jazz said as he reached a hand over to grasp his hand. "Trust me, he'll suffer more if you let him live."

"That's… also true," Drift agreed with a labored sigh.

"Hmph… you know what I hate," Dead End muttered with a roll of his optics. "Anyway, this motive, it has to do with memory, correct?"

"That's what we're guessing and why isn't Wildrider with you?" Mixmaster asked him.

"If I got out early, he'll waste his time knocking on my door," Dead End remarked.

"Ah, I understand," the chemist remarked. "The longer he doesn't come down, the better."

"Exactly."

"Aren't you the taunting one," remarked another and they turned to see Smokescreen strut on in, smirk on his face.

"Smokescreen…" Jazz growled as the gambler grabbed a cube and took a seat between Scavenger and Dead End, the former scooching closer to Mixmaster to get away from his assaulter.

"Hey Jazz. Glad to be here," Smokescreen said as he turned to Scavenger. "Happy to see me?"

"Say another word to him and I'll rip your voice box out," Mixmaster threaten him.

"Whaaaat? We're all friends here," Smokescreen laughed with a pat on Scavenger's back.

"No one is buying that, you consummate liar," Dead End commented with a sigh. Even he had no time for Smokescreen's constant lies.

"Thanks for the compliment," Smokescreen remarked, pleased with being called a liar.

"You shouldn't be proud about that, you serial killing bastard," Blurr told him.

"Why not? Everyone ought to be proud of what they're good at," Smokescreen remarked.

"Not a bad idea in concept, but with you? That's a detriment to everyone," Blurr remarked.

"You wound me," Smokescreen said with mock sincerity.

"Geez, sound is sounding like a real aft in here," Skywarp remarked as he came in, Laserbeak on his should as he grabbed two cubes and took a seat by Jazz.

"That would be me. Everyone doesn't appear to like me," Smokescreen told him.

"That's cause you're a jerk," Skywarp told him and Laserbeak nodded in agreement with him.

"Hey, I'm the one that stopped you idiots from blaming each other in Nightbeat and Mirage's death," Smokescreen pointed out.

"It was nice to not be blamed for a murder I didn't commit," said Onslaught as him and Swindle entered and got a cube. Onslaught took a seat next to Blurr and Swindle next to him.

"You're welcome!" Smokescreen said.

"You still assaulted Swindle and led to Blast Off's death and this is unforgiveable," Onslaught reminded him. "Once we out of here, we will get vengeance."

"Through legal means," Jazz added to that.

"We'll see about that," Swindle growled.

"We can still be friends, Swindle," Smokescreen insisted. "I never killed you for a reason, friend."

"We're not friends anymore," Swindle stated.

"I see we're of like minds," Hoist stated as he entered as well, getting a cube, and taking a seat – reluctantly – next to Smokescreen. "Smokescreen has betrayed both of our trust."

"But we can still be friends!" Smokescreen insisted as he wrapped an arm around Hoist.

"I highly doubt that," he remarked.

"But there's a chance!"

"We'll kill you before he decides," Swindle remarked.

"I would approve of it," Drift agreed, feeling the handle of his sword. "I can imagine Smokescreen and Dead End's death right now…"

"You'll only hurt yourself," Dead End told him with a morose sigh.

"He's right," Mixmaster said as he swiped Drift's hand from the handle. "Do that here and you'll get yourself executed."

"Ugh… fair point," Drift nodded.

"Who we're missing?" Onslaught asked.

"Rewind, Bumblebee, Perceptor, Wildrider, and Beachcomber," Blurr stated, counting each of them off with his fingers. "Knock Out and Bludgeon already came here for cubes to bring to Nautilator and Hound."

"You think they'll come down?" Hoist asked him.

"I'm here, I'm here," Beachcomber said as he came in as well, grabbed a cube, and sat next to Swindle. "Couldn't recharge much. Kept thinking about the next motive."

"As have we," Mixmaster acknowledged.

"We should probably speak about that once the rest get here," Jazz recommended.

"Not like we haven't talked about it enough already," Skywarp remarked.

"Indeed, you can quit talking about it now," Dead End muttered.

"You wanna talk about how much of a suicidal aft you are?" Skywarp asked him.

"Yes, I know. I'm responsible for Ratchet being executed instead of Smokescreen. I don't need to be reminded. I much prefer his presence over the serial killer," Dead End snapped back at him.

"Oh, come on. Even you don't like me?" Smokescreen asked.

"I was trying to get him out of here," Dead End remarked, glaring at the serial killer. "I preferred him over everyone."

"I wonder what Wildrider would think if he heard that?" Skywarp remarked with a grin.

"He understands the malice I hold for him," Dead End remarked simply. "If he doesn't, he's dense in the head."

"Would not be surprised," Bumblebee said as he stepped in, looking like he took a shower as well. "He's currently knocking on your door and Perceptor is trying to get him away from your door."

"As intended," Dead End remarked.

"Hmph, not surprised," Bumblebee remarked as he grabbed a cube and took a seat next to Drift. The two eyed each other before the two drank their energon cubes.

"Hmm… if Perceptor is there, then he might be able to get Wildrider away from the door to come here. That scientist seems to be having a growing fondness for him for some reason that I fail to comprehend," Dead End remarked. "I thought he was smarter than that."

"Eh, it happens," Jazz remarked. "Opposites can attract and that appears to be the case for them. One is logical and rational and the other is definitely not. It happens."

"I find that line of thought asinine," Dead End stated, annoyed. "People need some similarities to get along."

"Then how do you explain Bludgeon and Nautilator?" Blurr asked. "Those two are basically best buds now and they're complete opposites, as weird as they are."

"That has been puzzling me as well," Dead End muttered. "Someone as weak and pathetic as Nautilator being friends with Bludgeon. It boggles the mind."

"See. Opposites can be friends, like me and Hoist!" Smokescreen cheered.

"We're not friends," Hoist insisted.

"I think we're friends."

"You're not friends," Dead End cut him off. "Anyway, it's something I have to think over."

"Do whatever poetic bullshit you want to examine this," the gambler told him.

"Try not to insult my profession you-"

"DEADY!" Wildrider yelled as the maniac came out and tackle him as Dead End sat in his chair, making Dead End gasped in shock.

"Wildrider, what in the pit!" Dead End yelled at him.

"I told him you were probably here," Perceptor remarked as he grabbed a couple of cubes and took a seat by the struggling duo.

"You vile being!" Dead End yelled as Wildrider let go of Dead End and took his seat between his gestaltmate and Perceptor.

"So, that leaves Rewind, right?" Bumblebee asked, ignoring them.

"Oh, Rewind already went over to the Med-Bay to be with Hound," Perceptor informed them.

"What? He didn't come down for some energon?" Beachcomber asked him.

"Nah, he just hurried over there," Wildrider affirmed Perceptor's statement.

"Huh, how odd," Mixmaster remarked.

"Well, now that everyone's here that will be, we should talk about the motive, right?" Drift asked.

"Something about our memory, correct?" Dead End asked them.

"Exactly. It's our hypothesis that someone will recover their memory each day," Jazz told them.

"That is what I believe the motive will be," Perceptor told them. "But would that be enough to incite someone into killing?"

"It sure did in for the student who owned the datapad," Mixmaster stated.

"That is quite true," Dead End agreed. "That datapad of the former student of ours did mention that it drove him insane and made him attempt to murder someone."

"That is correct," Perceptor acknowledged. "That datapad Bludgeon and Nautilator found did show that. We don't know the veracity of that datapad, but we have no choice but to believe it is true."

"It doesn't seem to be in the mastermind's character to plant false evidence," Onslaught stated. "None of us like the mastermind, but he seems to be honest with us, at the very least."

"So far, but for all we know, everything we've learned could be falsified," Scavenger stated. "We can trust him base on instinct until we find collaborative evidence."

"We have no choice but to trust the information that's been given for now," Jazz told Scavenger.

"That's right. We have no choice in that regard," Swindle agreed.

"They can only be true," Drift stated. "I see no other option."

"I'm just pointing out a possibility," Scavenger sated.

"You're stating an impossibility," Drift remarked back.

"Well, anyway, what you're saying is that we need to keep an eye on each other and see if anyone is acting abnormal," Beachcomber stated.

"That would be correct," Jazz nodded.

"I believe we can manage that," Smokescreen agreed as did everyone else in the room.

"Right, very well," Jazz nodded as most of the people in their room had finished their cubes. "Well, I guess this morning meet-up is finished. We'll talk again later."

Everyone agreed to it and they all started leaving the area.