Friend or Foe? V
"Echo?" Jazz repeated, making sure that he heard him right. The youngling in his lap nodded in reply.
"Well Echo it's nice to meet ya," the silver mech said as a large smile spread across his face. Echo smile and was just about to reply when the doors to the bay hissed open and Smokescreen strode in.
The Autobot psychologist smiled at Jazz warmly then made his way over to Ratchet. Resting a hand on the medic's shoulder as he typed he opened a personal line between the two of them.
"So he is the youngling you spoke to me about?" This was more of a statement then a question coming from the standing mech.
"Yes and, if what he told Jazz is true, his name is Echo," the CMO replied as he saved the youngling's data onto the computer. Smokescreen looked back at the youngling that was sitting in Jazz's lap and let a small smile creep across his face.
"It is truly a gift from Primus that he is alive," Smokescreen said mostly to himself. Ratchet couldn't help but nod in agreement as he watched the red and blue mech approach the two on the examination table.
"Hello little one," Smokescreen said kneeling in front of Echo. Said youngling observed the new mech warily as he clung to Jazz's hand like a lifeline.
"My name is Smokescreen," he said with a smile. "What's your name?" He knew the youngling's name but he wanted to see if he could get Echo to talk to him, even just the littlest bit.
"E-Echo," the small mech replied softly as he continued to cling to Jazz's side.
"Echo, that's a lovely name," Smokescreen said smiling warmly. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Echo's mouth at the new mech's compliment of his name.
"Who gave you such a fitting name?" The psychologist asked, not quite sure how much information the youngling was willing to give out. Echo hesitated, not sure if this new mech could be trusted with such personal information. Jazz sensed the youngling's unease and decided to speak up.
"'Ey you like to draw?" The silver mech asked looking down at the bundle of wires in his lap. Echo's crimson optics widened as he nodded vigorously. A low laugh rumbled Jazz's chest at the response he got.
"Well le's see if we can get ya some of Sunstreaker's paint to work with," he said as he made his way out the med bay doors.
"You can go ahead and take him to the mess hall, I'll see if Sunstreaker will be willing to part with his paints for a few breems," Smokescreen said, very well aware of what Jazz was planning.
About fifteen minutes later Echo's hands were covered in a multitude of different colored paints, and he couldn't have been happier. Smokescreen wasn't far away and was watching the youngling carefully, analyzing every move he made. Jazz smiled as he watched the youngling mix colors together and create nothing short of a mess. He then notice a sheet that had several mech shaped blobs on it.
"Who're these guys?" He asked as he picked the picture up and held it in front of the paint covered youngling.
"You," he said pointing to the smaller grey one, then to the slightly taller and wider one. "And 'Hide." He failed to mention who the third one was. Both Jazz and Smokescreen noticed this. The silver mech hesitated to pry, but Smokescreen encouraged him through their personal line.
"I don' recognize this guy," Jazz said in a confused tone mostly to himself. Echo looked up and saw him looking at the light blue paint smear.
"Thundercracker," he said softly as he went back to work on his recent picture. Jazz cast a glance at Smokescreen, only to find the red and blue mech's attention was focused solely on the picture Echo was working on. Jazz looked at the sheet of metal and felt the energon his systems freeze.
The sheet of metal was covered almost completely in black, grey and dark red paint. It wasn't the dark colors that bothered him, but the form that the colors took. It was a shape very similar to that of Optimus Prime. Jazz knew better though. It was Nemesis Prime.
Echo slowed his work on the picture and suddenly felt very scared. A small shiver shook through his frame as he turned and clung to Jazz's arm in a frightened manner.
"I think tha's enough paint'n fo' today," the silver mech said as he picked the trembling youngling up. Echo chirped in agreement and held onto the saboteur's neck tightly.
"I'll take care of this," Smokescreen said through their personal line. "You go ahead and get Echo cleaned up." Jazz nodded in understanding and made his way to the back of the base where the washracks were.