As Two Worlds Collide
Written by : TransformersLover95
Beta: None(I'm lookin!)
Rating:T
Hightower had been looking at his internal clock for the past joor trying to will time to move faster, Jazz joined him at the Half Shift mark and took up a seat beside him watching the monitors while Red Alert had a brief but much needed break.
Hightower didn't spare much attention for the black and white mech who pulled out a data pad and worked on a particularly long report he had to fill in for Prowl. He was running over the details of his last off shift encounter with the alluring and frustrating Decepticon femme. He growled to himself "stupid Polyhex" the rest was lost to mumbles.
Jazz subspaced the report and spun to face Hightower "Polyhex?" he said moving closer to Hightower as the mech was brought into awareness "Not talking 'bout mah are yah 'Tower?"
Hightower shook his head "Nah, I'm just annoyed 'bout some stuff that happen on mah last off shift" he left out details, he fell under the level of the Officers by being Head of Physical Training, it meant higher privileges but also higher expectations of behaviour. Cross fraction fraternisation was highly illegal on both sides of the war.
"Mah mech, I know that look, what happened an' with who?" Jazz said leaning back, he wasn't head of Special Ops for nothing, Hightower just shrugged it off.
"Nah, it ain't worth it Jazz, may as well never happen" he turned and pretended to watch the monitors, trying to avoid the subject being brought up with Jazz.
Jazz grabbed the mechs chair and swung him around "Hightower, this ain't a small thing. So spill or I'll send you to Smokey" Jazz knew the threat of the Autobots shrink was enough to make most mechs spill.
Hightower was among those mechs who didn't wish to have a visit forced onto him he let out a heavy cycle of air " It was a femme" at this Jazz smirked and leaned back in his chair " but, She's…" he rolled the words over in his mind, there was no way around it " She's a Con, I knew her all of a breem and then I don't know, we were at each other and then in this room…" he looked sheepish and ducked his head.
It wasn't hard for Jazz to know what the mech was talking about, but the fact that it had happened with a Decepticon femme worried Jazz, those femmes were dangerous and when they found something they liked didn't give it up "wait, you said Polyhex before, right? How come?"
"Well, she said her name was Chibi, I know its Polyhexian slang but for what I don't know, she was so small, but amazingly strong. I get why mechs don't like crossing the femme contingent, let alone the Decepticon femmes" he said, his mind wondering back to what the strength of that frame could do when compelled by lust and desire.
"Yo, mah mech, yah need tah focus on the real world, not sayin what you spent the night doing with the femme ain't fun but Red's on his way here to check up on us, not even Inferno could keep him distracted for a whole shift" he grinned and moved back and looked thoroughly interested and enamoured with the life of the base while Hightower went over the reports he'd been asked to complete during his shift about productivity of the base from his opinion. Red Alert walked in, his horns let out a few sparks but went back to just flashing when he saw the mechs doing their assigned jobs, Inferno rushed in and enveloped Red in a hug whispering words to sooth and calm the mech.
"It's fine Red, see, ain't nothin' goin' wrong" the small red and white mech melted into the hug, Infernos fingers were running up and down the sensitive horns trying to distract the mech from his worries "Jazz 'n Tower know what they're doin', Come on" he tugged on the small mech but Red protested outside the bond for the first time.
"NO! What if something happens! I had a break!" he tried to fight the grip but he didn't stand a chance, Inferno just sighed and pulled the mech closer and hauled him over his shoulder.
"I'll take 'im tah See Ratch', maybah he's got somethin' that'll calm 'im down" he walked away red barely making a dent in his plating towards the med-bay.
Jazz and Hightower waited until the mechs left and spun around, they shared a look that suggested they knew what Inferno would do if Ratchet wouldn't/couldn't help, after all, a newly bonded pair took time to adjust.
They broke into peals of laughter, doubling over as they fully registered the thought and then in the same klick shuddering from the mental image brought up.
The laughter died down and the let out a gust of air caught up in there vents.
"now, I wanted tah bring somethin' up with yah before ah shift ended" said Jazz much more professional, Hightower nodded and waited "I trained yah for yah Special Ops trainin' and now, we need ah favour of yah" Hightower shifted, this was sounding more and more serious.
"Now, none of our fully train Ops mechs are free, I've been told of a mission in the next two Quartexs for mah self that lasts a Groon and Mirage, Bee and Hound are alreadah' out on a surveillance mission, there no one else on base with enough trainin to qualify for the job other than yah"
Hightower shifted again, his tanks rolled around but he spoke past it "what is it Jazz, what do Ah need tah do?"
Jazz sighed and blew out a cycle of air "we have a longer term mission, quarter Vorn at least, Yah may be up there with the Officers but yah ain't been seen around here before, and more so the Polyhex region, none a the mechs on the Cons side will ah ever seen yah for the most part, and we're givin' yah a cover. But Tower, this ain't a in and out mission, this is a long term, go in as a grunt and work yah way up sorta Job, yah gotta go in as another mech, we gotta erase all traces of yah from the base…mech, this ain't somethin yah can just back out of once we start" Jazz pulled a file from subspace "only open 'operation Counter Punch' if you think yah can handle this, there's a briefing file but mech, this is top secret, no one can know…this is a major deal"
Hightower eyed the data pad "wouldn't yah be better with a more trained mech, Ah mean...I haven't done Ops work in a good three Vorns" jazz nodded.
"we need a mech who has skills other than Ops, the reason Ah came tah yah was you've gotten to the top of melee training in a Vorn…yah big, somethin the cons like and mech, they're holdin a recruitin' session real soon, too soon to prep Mirage or Bee when they get back, as much as I gotta say, you ain't all that loved by a fair few mechs, it's easier to hide the disappearance of a lesser known mech, rather than say a mech with a gift like Mirages" Jazz explained he called in Gears and Cliffjumper to take over their shifts.
The mechs came in grumbling but stayed, Hightower slipped the pad into subspace and wander off to his quarters. He looked around the sparsely decorated room and let out a sigh, Jazz was right, he had no close friends outside the command structure and he didn't even have any ties outside the walls of the base. He sat on his berth and opened the first file.
Briefing on Operation Counterpunch-
The mission mentioned above requires the infiltration of the Decepticon Base by an Autobot in disguise as a Decepticon, extensive preparation for the mission is required as is full dedication. Do NOT open the file 'Operation Counterpunch' unless willing too fully commit to the mission. The mission is to be undertaken for a minimum of a quarter Vorn and anywhere above that. Contact with the Autobots would be rare and very unpredictable. Full and convincing participation in the Decepticon army is required, to the fullest extent you fight now for the Autobots.
This is the largest number of details able to be released without full commitment. This file will be destroyed by a built in Virus in a breem. The 'Operation Counterpunch' file will be destroyed by a similar virus by the end of the next Orn.
Hightower blew out air in disbelief, a quarter Vorn that was the longest mission he'd heard of, but it was for a minimum of a quarter Vorn and anywhere above that. He'd only been a part of the Autobots for a half Vorn…
He looked around, the words of his mentor drifted into his mind 'there is no use fighting for a war when you never take the offensive, take that chance and beat them' he just never thought he'd have to become one of them to beat them.
He sighed and subspaced it into his hip pocket and moved out towards the recroom, he wasn't hungry, his tanks were grumbling in protest of the thought of more energon. He followed his systems advice and just sat; surrounded by mechs he knew but didn't know….
He made up his mind then, he didn't know these mechs, but knowing that he could help all of them live longer was something he wanted to be a part of, even if no one ever knew it happened. He pulled in more air trying to fully understand what he was getting into by taking this mission, his entire life would be erased by the sound of it…he would rarely see old friends…he would have to fight as one of them…he could be ordered to kill a mech…he shuddered at thought, he imagined going into battle for a Vorn, never killing…how do you make a convincing kill…without killing the mech he was pinned against.
And at the same time, while wearing the Decepticon symbol his once comrades in arms would fire upon him with the intent to kill he used to hold against Decepticons…now, he wasn't so sure…
He groaned at all the thoughts bouncing around in his processor, he could barely handle being one mech…and by the sounds of what Jazz was going on about he'd have to manage two of them…while spying…and not allowing himself to be caught out…he clutched his head as his thoughts swirled into a jumbled mess. He put his head between his knees and cycled air deeply several times.
He got a few strange looks and eventually he was approached, he looked up at the hand on his shoulder, First Aid was looking at him-after years with the medic he knew he was concerned "come on Hightower, Ratch wanted to see you after Jazz talked to you, judging by your current position I'd say he's talked to you" First Aid pulled him to his feet, the young medic had considerable strength for a non-fighter, well, he could hold his own in a fight, Hightower had seen to it. But the mech hated fighting. He would soon as repair a con as he would a bot. He was young but wouldn't compromise on carrying a weapon, hence his forced training with Hightower.
Hightower had gotten him to go along with the fighting by stating what if someone stood in the way of him and a patient or he was attacked while working. He'd taught him simple disarming, stunning and paralysing fight styles that left no lasting effect but could down and mech like Prime…the medic had during his final session.
Hightower let the medic lead him towards the medbay, he couldn't bring himself to walk on his own, and he felt like his legs would collapse under him if he were to try. He was heaved onto a low berth as Ratch came from one of the private rooms, Prowl walked after him and Prime and Jazz walked in. He felt like word had spread before he'd even hinted at his choice.
Jazz read his face and spoke up "Aid here saw you looking worse for wear and sent us all a message, it gave Ratch an excuse to check up on this one" he said as he moved next to Prowl, a finger running along the underside of the high doorwings, Prowl didn't flinch but the wings shuddered, Jazz smirked at his small victory but didn't continue.
Optimus looked around the room "Where on Cybertron is Ironhide?" he said realising the Red mech was missing.
"Chromia and Firestar stopped in to make a supply run…I haven't seen Red or Inferno either" Said First Aid speaking up from his work station, he left the Officers to their conversation and continued on his reports, though he knew the confidentiality level of what he was most likely about to hear.
You couldn't see the smile but his eyes betrayed him and Optimus let out a knowing "mmm" and continued "Now, Hightower, I'm going to assume you have yet to read the data pack" The normally tall mech felt quite small sitting down, his head was level with Jazzes.
"No, I haven't, I was about too but my possessors didn't like that idea and went on the fritz" he said pulling himself taller in his spot.
"That's alright Hightower, I did not expect you to take the offer lightly, now, only Jazz knows all of the details for security reasons and Ratchet will be the only one involved in the frame transition into Punch and from there Counter Punch" Hightower was starting to understand the level of this, not even Optimus would know everything…
"I understand the thoughts you must be having, this is an enormous ask of me to any of my mechs, but I am asking because I trust you can fulfil this mission and you can handle the task" He took a deep pull of air "I ask you know, before the full extent is realised to you, if you except this mission and if you believe yourself capable of this difficult task" Prime spoke in a strong voice, but kind and understanding. He mightn't have known all the details but he knew how big this was.
Hightower nodded, more to himself and looked up "Yes, I-"the words got caught in his vocaliser; he swallowed "I accept the mission" Optimus' mask retracted and he ran a hand down his face.
"Hightower, you will not be forgotten in this war" he said placing a hand on the mechs shoulder " Your sacrifice and what you have entered into today is more heroic and selfless then anything I could ever undertake, I feel no doubt in saying that if they knew, the entire Autobot army would wish you luck, and pray for your safety" he smiled, but it was a sad one "Good luck friend, I fear though, the next time I see you, I will not be meeting with Hightower…" he sighed and left the room, along with Prowl and First Aid. The young medic had been sent a look by his mentor and promptly left locking the doors from the outside while Jazz locked them from the inside.
Hightower couldn't bring himself to stand, he felt like he would fall flat the moment he did instead he swung his legs up onto the berth and fell backwards with a thunk. Ratchet rushed over but gave a mocking wack when he realised the mech was fine.
"Come on, stand up, we need to make you sleeker" Hightower baulked at that "Same amount of armour, just closer to your frame, all of this will make it too hard for the programming to alter you look fast enough when cornered" Hightower was slowly piecing together the information that he'd been drip feed until now when it all seemed to be poured into his processors at once.
Jazz walked over pulling a few different chips from his wrist subspace "this one" he held up a purple chip, and in the seriousness of the unfolding mission he lost his slang alterations on words "holds Counterpunch" he placed it in the mechs hand "this one" he flicked the red one next to the purple chip "is Punch" he showed him another, it was silver in colour "this is the chip with the transitional programing" it too was placed with the red and purple chip "this one" this one was a golden colour "this is where you will go" he didn't expand anymore details and held up the last two Silvery chips, though one had a golden side and the other pure silver, they were bigger than the others, a personal ones of Jazzes.
"These too…this one" he showed him the two sided chip "this one is the only anti-virus to the programing we're installing…without this they can't break it" he held onto that one, subspacing it as he looked over the last silvery chip "and this…this is a virus… its designed to rid you of all past memories…and store them into the gold chip that will then be removed, this also has a firewall that goes around all the programing going in place so that the Cons can't hack into it...while Punch, Counterpunch is invisible, at least in your data tracks and the same for Counterpunch. It will do ornly sweeps of your processor to find anything that could place the programing…and you in danger…" he placed this on the berth.
"Hightower…the only mech that will be able to give you back Hightower will be me…Ratchet will know everything but for your own safety…You are having this installed like a virus being uploaded…unless the right protocols via this chip" the double sided one reappeared and disappeared in a flash "your system will go into status and reboot, having wiped whatever was trying to unlock the coding …mech, you cannot try and get out of this or try to reinstall your old memories …you do, and YOU are wiped, any memories that were collected via the Punch/Counterpunch programing is safe but you're old life, on that gold chip is wiped completely while you snooze" he said, bluntly but trying to be caring.
This was the most dangerous thing they'd ever asked a mech too do. Hightower nodded running over everything Jazz had told him.
He looked at the chips in his hands, handed them back to Jazz and pulled more air then he thought possible through his vents.
He looked at the Black and white mech and the Red and white medic, he quickly went through his memoires and hid one of them behind the firewall of his spark programing…only a bond went through that…he prayed.
"Do it" were the final words from Hightower's mouth.