he headed off down the hall.
"Sorry, are you okay?" Compass bent down and asked. the two femmes nodded.
Compass stood, and made his way over after Cliffjumper, transferring the anger from stomping to putting a heavy grip on the minibot's shoulder.
"Stop. Right. There."
There was a click as his magnetic poles shifted in his arm, gluing itself to 'Jumper.
the minibot squirmed. "Lemme go." he snarled. But Compass held on.
"there's nothing you can do anyway. Your little she-bot's bought it!" he crowed.
Compass yanked back on him. "You're not going anywhere until I get some answers, coward." he narrowed his optics.
"Oh, like what? like why she decided to betray you, and all the other Autobots?"
Compass stared at him for a moment, and his wings twitched.
He growled and leaned forward, his eyes glowing a deep red.
"Do I look like Mirage to you?"
Cliffjumper gave him a look. "Really? I didn't know he was on your side." he smirked.
"remind me to mention that to Klutch." he tried to get free again.
Compass picked Cliffjumper up and pulled him under his arm, and began his way to the main bridge.
"I think I know how we can settle this without me hurling you into a wall." His wings flickered as he stomped his way through the hall.
"what..where are you.. LET ME GO!" the red minobot snarled, and tried to punch Compass in the side.
Compas stared ahead, barely noticing the minibot, and continued to make his way down the hall lightly.
Compass put his hand over Cliffjumper's mouth, magnetizing it shut. He peeked into Wheeljack's bunk area, just enough to keep Cliffjumper out of view.
"Hey 'Jack? I've got a question for you."
"hmm? what's up?" he whispered, rolling over.
Compass pulled Cliffjumper out of Wheeljack's sight completely.
"...Do you know what faction Alpha is on? All this running and yelling isn't helping my headache, and I just want to know the truth from someone. I figured I'd come to you."
Wheeljack looked at him for a minute.
"Well..." he sighed.
"I personally don't think she's done anything to betray the Autobots, but if that's what Prime thinks..."
he gave Compass a look, then looked away.
Compass smiled. "Well, then I guess I'll have to change Prime's mind. Thanks, Wheeljack!"
With a burst of speed he ran past the bunk and down the hallway, heading for Prowl's room.
Halfway through, he changed poles and threw Cliffjumper into a wall. "I'll deal with you later." He growled.
Cliffjumper glared back. "Traitor!!" he hissed.
Ty and Gunlock, who had been silent until now, stepped forwards. "We agree with Jade. We have done nothing wrong. Therefore, we have nothing to fear." Gunlock said.
There was a pounding on the door. "Open this door!" a voice outside shouted.
Alpha winced. She prayed to Primus and anyone else she could think of that Omega and Kit would be okay. The femme sighed and looked at the others. "So...what does that mean we have to do exactly?"
Cliffjumper reached the control room, where Ironhide was at teletraan-1. "where's Klutch?" he panted.
"Havent ya herd? he's in the brig fer attackin' Kit." the red van replied.
"Indy's in her room, though. ah think."
"Thanks." Cliffjumper said and ran out.
Jazz headed out of the Ark's main entrance with the information Prowl had given him. Alberta, Canada was just on the other side of Wyoming.
"thank goodness it's not on da' other side 'a the U.S." he said.
Prowl glanced at the group again. Jade gulped. "Just let me do the talking, for now." he said, and hit the doorswitch.
Hound rang Indy's doorchime, expecting to see a human. Instead, a red Corvette Indy concept car answered the door.
Hound looked at the femme.
He blinked.
"allo. Ooh're you?" Indy asked, moving aside so Hound could come into her quarters.
"Hound." Said mech muttered.
Indy! INDEEEEE!" Cliffjumper came careening down the hall and through the open door. "We caught em! they're all in Prowl's office!" he gasped.
"What? You caught them?" Indy looked up, and headed for the door.
"I have to get Klutch out of the brig." she said, breezing past the two.
Hound followed.
Alpha growled and made copies stand in front of her friends incase anything happened.
"You got it, Prowl..."
"But just in case..." she thought.
Snow blinked then ran over to help Terra up.
Terra groaned and rubbed her head. "Ow."
Snow smiled. "You OK?" she asked.
Terra nodded. "Ow."
Snow nodded then looked around.
"What is going on now?" she wondered.
"Jazz!" Omega's voice growled as Kit walked out of the woods, holding something invisible.
Heya kitten, what's wrong?" Jazz looked concerned at the almost-in-tears look on the child's face.
Omega looked around and appeared. He carried Kit over to Jazz. "They got the rest of them. Alpha wants to know if you can find Prime and tell him...also watch out for Kit..."
The twelve men raised their rifles. "Disarm yourselves, and keep your hands where we can see them!" the first said.
"please, excess force is not nessesary." Prowl intervened. "They were here, because we were just discussing the tems of their surrender." he said.
HT started to growl "Why I..." but Alpha clapped a hand over his mouth.
Alpha put a finger to her lips. "Shh!"
The copies facepalmed, but stayed in front of their friends.
"Please, we were going to inform you, but it seems Cliffjumper barged in, and went screaming like a panic-monger before I could tell him what was going on." Prowl said, perfectly calm Alpha made a noise like a growl, but stayed quiet.
Come on, you'll be safe with me. Both of you." Jazz transformed, and opened a door.
Omega shook his head. He nudged Kit over to Jazz and the sparkling climbed in.
Tears fell onto Jazz's seats as she watched Omega go invisible as he headed back inside the buidling.
"Why did you stop taking that chemical I gave you?" Ratchet questioned, frowning.
"Uh..I..well.."
"Well you what?" Ratchet demanded, giving her an angry look.
Daze grinned at Ratchet. "I just... decided to...?"
"I just decided to," Daze whimpered, trying to edge away from the very POed CMO.
"You just decided to, huh?" Ratchet didn't look like he believed her one bit.
Daze nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I... just decided to..."
"nobody told you you should stop taking it?" he eyed the silver seekerfemme suspiciously.
Daze nodded again.
"Yes...?"
the white Porche hit the highway, and sped up to 120mph.
He zigzagged between cars, radio blaring. "I just hope I can find him." he thought out loud.
Indy jogged down the hall, heading for the brig. Prime intercepted her. "Indy. What's going on?" "Prowl caught them1 You have to release Klutch!" she said, going up to the double doors. Prime followed.
Prowl's comm dinged. "Prowl here."
"Prowl, what happened? are they there, in your office?" Prime was trying to sound suprised because Indy was right in front of him.
"Yes, they are her. Could you please sent someone to escort them to the holding area?" he said.
"I'll send Hound, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Klutch is free to go." he made sure to add the last part.
"Call Trailbeaker, and have him meet us in the command room with the group."
"Will do, sir." Prowl replied, and cut the link. Jade gulped and carefully disconnected her armcannons, and the others followed suit.
Cap nudged HT. "I can't It's part of my turret." he growled back.
Alpha handed her sword and blaster over. The copies disappeared.
"You can't let Klutch go. Not after what he did to..." She trailed off and looked away.
"Oh screw it. No one cares." She growled.
"Who?" Kit asked as she held on tightly to the seat as the Porsche dodged the traffic without slowing down any.
"Oh, friend 'a mine. He might be able to help out yer mom and the others." Jazz replied, trying to be nonchalant.
He felt the tears hitting his seat.
"Hey." he said softly. "It'll be okay, kitten. We aint gonna let that mean blueboy hurt your momma. She'll be fine. okay?"
Prowl glanced at Alpha. "One of the conditions of him being held was that he has to be released if you were captured."
He commed Trailbreaker. "Trailbreaker, report to my office, please.
"aww, what did I do now? It was just a little offroading. I didn't mean to get Gears stuck like that, really!"
"No, Trailbreaker, I need you to escort our 'prisoners' to the main command room." Prowl replied.
"Okaybye." Trailbreaker quickly cut the link. Prowl looked at the others and nodded. Jade gulped.
Ratchet narrowed his optics at Daze. "And since when did you go from being afraid of everything to defying my orders?" he asked.
Daze started to sit up, not liking the idea of lying down with a grumpy medic standing about a meter away.
"Since you gave me that...?"
Daze swallowed and shifted away a little more.
the silver femme looked away from Ratchet, not answering. he glared in reply.
Alpha growled. "I should have killed him when I had the chance." She hissed where only Jade, DriveBy, Prowl and HT heard her. The femme glared at Prowl, but then sighed.
"Sis?" a voice inside her thoughts whispered
"Omega?" She whispered.
Prime walked up to Klutch, giving him a dark look. "Release him." he said.
Sunstreaker glanced at Sideswipe, then hit the switch.
Klutch smirked as he walked out of the cell. "So, I presume you have captured our crimnals?" he asked.
Prime started to say "They are not..."
he sighed.
"They're in Prowl's office. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, I want you to go escort them to the command room, where we will all meet and discuss these accusations."
Prime gave the blue sportscar a pointed look. Klutch almost argued, but remembered he was 'playing on Prime's turf' as it were.
Alpha growled as she sighed. She looked up. "Bro?"
"Hiya, sis." The invisable mech grinned from the ceiling.
Alpha smiled. She whispered, "Kit?"
"Jazz."
"Good."
The doorchime dinged, and Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Hound came in.
"We're here to 'escort' you all to the command room." Sunstreaker scowled
lpha growled, but nodded. She looked at Sides and Sunny, sighing.
Kit wrapped her arms around her legs and nodded, but continued to let the tears fall.
After a minute or so of silence, Jazz asked "D' you like rap music?"
"Somewhat...d'ya have any country...or soft rock?" Kit asked, sniffing, as she looked up; her voice was very quiet and full of worry.
"sure, hon. Which would you like?" the Porsche said softly, slowing down a little.
Prowl nodded and stood up. Jade took a deap breath. "Here goes nothing." she muttered.
Prowl looked at her and nodded encouragingly.
HT grumbled something unintelligible, an insult, probably.
They walked out, heading for the command room. Jade walked beside Prowl with HT on her right, and Driveby behind her, with TY and Gunlock on either side of her. Then Alpha and Cable, Beacon and Cap behind them, then Sunstreaker, Hound and Sideswipe in the back. Omega invisibly followed.
Each set of six troups jogged oneither side to keep up.
Alpha frowned.
"Country?" Kit asked.
"Okay." Jazz flipped on the country channel, and turned the volume down to a decent level.
Kit smiled a back as she let go of her legs. "Thanks, Uncle Jazz."
"No prob, sweetheart. So, what'd I miss?" he asked gently, hoping it wouldn't upset her more.
Kit whimpered, "They-They got my mommy and the others..." She said, looking down.
"Uncle Jazz, are they going to hurt my mommy like they did me?"
"Not if Prime has anything to do with it. And Prowl, too." the Porche revved his engine slightly in emphasis.
Prime stood in the center of the command room, flanked by Ironhide.
Klutch was to the right, with Indy at his side.
Armed soldiers surrounded the room, standing against the walls.
Klutch turned from saying something to Indy. "Ah, he come the traitas now." he turned and flicked his hand in the air.
The 40 or so troups raised their guns to aim at the group. Jade gulped.
Ironhide started to say "They're not traitors, ya tin foil..." Prime shushed him before he could finish his insult.
"We came forward of our own free will." Jade forced out. She silently muttered a prayer to Primus as Prowl stepped forward.
"You have no evidence to back up your claims. And, you cannot take any of our warriors out of this country without proper authorization."
Klutch stepped forward. "You seem to misunderstand. I'm sure your government will be quite understanding when they learn you locked me up in order to hide them in youah office while you could plot their escape. Why, if it weren't foa one a yoa own soljas coming forwud, we may neva have caught them." he said.
"They locked you up because you hurt my baby!" Alpha growled, but was silenced as Omega, who was still invisible, slapped his hand over her mouth.
"Al!"
"Shut up!"
"Still." Prowl said calmly "There are laws that protect humans, and Cybertronians alike."
Klutch narrowed his optics. "Fine. But when I do get ahold of my commandin' offica, we'll se about that." He looked at his troups.
"I'll personally ovasee thea escoated to the brig." he motioned to his men.
Prime stepped in. "As will I. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, make sure they get safely to their destination." he eyed Klutch, daring him to start a fight.
The twins nodded.
Alpha sighed and looked at her twin.
The invisible mech backed away and glanced at Prime, wondering if he knew that he was here.
They marched down the hall, escorted by four jeeps and two squads of soldiers.
Jade looked over at HT.
"Scared?" he teased.
She looked away.
"I'm not." he said. They're just a bunch of humans. What can they do?" He made a fist at one group, and they raised their guns, aiming at him.
"Keep moving!" the leader barked.
Driveby whispered something to Alpha behind her.
Alpha sighed and then kicked HT. "Please don't make it worse. They attack any of us and I'm gonna loose it." She muttered.
"What?" She looked at Driveby. "Say that again."
"I wonder if they're going to put us together." Driveby whispered.
"I hope so...I don't want to be alone..." Alpha muttered, "Not that I'm scared, I just..."
Omega chuckled, but groaned as Alpha kicked him.
"Shh."
It was nearly 8pm when Jazz reached the small suburban town. He pulled up to the gas station and parked. "I need ya ta get out fer a sec while I transform." He had to kneel to get through the human-sized door, but when he did the clerk looked up, and his face turned white as a sheet.
"Don't worry, I'm not here ta rob ya or nuthin. Jus lookin for a friend a mine. Lives out on Phillisburg avenue? Jazz pulled out the miniscule peice of pare and handed it the clerk. He looked like he was ready to jump and run any second, then cautiously reached over and snatched the peice of paper from the black and white's hand.
Kit walked in next to Jazz, tears in her optics. She smiled at the human. "hi..."
the clerk blinked at the talking tiger. "now I've seen everything..." he muttered. after a second, then blinked and said "Yeah, I know him." the clerk looked up at the giant robot. "You're an Autobot, right?" he scrutinised the visored face. "That's what the symbol says." Jazz grinned, pointing to his hood, trying to put in as much charm in as he could.
the clerk looked back up at him from the symbol. "Whattya want to know? was he kidnapped or something?" the clerk asked. "Well...no, but I kinda lost his address since he moved up here." Jazz lied.
Drew lives over at 1464. Big white house with a porch. Can't miss it." he said, handing the note back. "Thanks." Jazz gave him his most charismatic grin.
"Mr Adams comes in here a lot. I didn't know he was friends with you Autobots." he said. "eh...we kinda keep quiet. yaknow, publicity and all." Jazz shrugged, lying again. "Thanks." he nodded.
"Um..uh...wait." the guy fetched a peice of paper. "Could I get your autograph? my cousin loves you guys. She'd be bowled over if you gave her one. Jazz grinned. "Sure." the man quickly found a sheet of paper and pen. "what's her name?"
"uh... Ronny." Jazz lifted an optic ridge. "It's short for Rhonda. but she goes by ronny"
The Autobot tried to hold the pen, which was like a toothpick by his standards, and scribbled his name across the paper, along with a short message.
"Keep the music playin' and the times will allways be good. love, the Jazzman"
"Thanks." the man folded it and put it in his shirtpocket. Jazz nodded and mauevered throught the small doorway.
"Uncle Jazz, wait up!" Kit said, following. "Thank you." She said to the man before following Jazz.