I really had no idea where tonight's plot bunny came from... I would I have to say it's a combination of wanting to get this part over with... and maybe deepening Bay's character a little... Anyways I hope you like this short chapter!
Many thanks to Reader103, Meep15, emc2fantasyfan, frozen-rain-sg, Jimmy 144, Jazzilynn Hall, Shimmer Mane, Cannikostar99, JohnnyLove NillaWaffersP, CarsCars2Fanatic, ShiftFrame, Stargazer360, emc2fantasyfan, and animefangirl0219 for fav/following.
And thank you to sarielgrace, and Jimmy 144, DJ-Jazzy-D, Jazzilyn Hall, and ShiftFamre for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Transformers...
Word count: ~ 1400
Chapter 10
~x~
~Bay~
~x~
Bay was still seething mad, despite the nice long run she had made in the get away from the interrogation room, her pace reducing to a brisk walk. The nerve... like I would consent to forfeiting any information over to them, let alone spy... And then threatening to declare treason on us if we don't comply? What the hell do they expect us to do? Go running to the Triad with the knowledge that there are freaking aliens housed in the basement of what is probably Area 51? Who the hell doesn't already suspect that? Hell, the kid is only eleven who would even believe him if he talked? Most people ignore anything a kid says.
Bay sighed as she slowed her pace, nearing what appeared to be the rec room of the base, keeping her head down shooting cautious glances at the soldiers milling about. Apparently the pompous suit was being discreet about her escape... Not surprising really considering he had had her removed from the first room that she had been taken to in the first place. She grit her teeth as she stopped to think back on how to get back to the med bay. She hadn't heard anything about Eight since earlier and she wanted to make sure he was still there.
"Sigma?"
She stiffened at the name before turning to face the speaker, a tall and skinny brunette teen with unforgettable aquamarine eyes. "Miki? Oh my... Is that really you?" she blinked at the young woman who smiled warmly before squealing girlishly and rushing over to hug the P.I.
Bay felt a pang of regret and shame, fighting to keep her face straight as the girl pulled back. "It's been forever since I saw you! I would have though you'd be in Rio or something after what happened with my dad and Eta, and Chi."
"Nah, I couldn't do it." Bay said with a grin. "I went to work for my relatives for a while, y'know to lay low while the heat was on." Bay said with a shrug. "So ya joining the military?"
"Nah, I'm here because of my boyfriend Sam." she pointed to the boy who was talking to her original interrogator. "It's really complicated. You?"
Bay nibbled of her lip for a minute before deciding to tell her the truth. "My nephew's toy car was possessed by the soul of a certain bot named Jazz? I don't know how this shit all happened, everything's a damned mess." she shook her head as the soldier and Sam walked over.
"Miss Baxter! Whatever happened to-"
"I was hauled off by some stiff necked paper pushing suit who basically tried to get me to sell not only myself but my nephew and his friend into a twisted indentured servitude. However if I see him again, I will have the most wonderful satisfaction of ensuing that the weasel will most certainly need a testicle retrieval." she grinned savagely as the two men cringed.
"So how do you know Ms. Baxter Mikaela?" Will blinked at them.
"Oh Sigma was a street racer a few years back. She used to hang with my dad before things went south for him." Mikaela said as Bay smiled weakly in response as Will shot her a questioning glance.
"Sigma?"
"My street name. First rule to street racing after drive fast, don't use your real name." She quickly swallowed before her clapped her hands together and changed the topic. "I don't suppose you guys could show me to the med bay? I would love to go check in on my nephew."
~x~
~Ratchet~
~x~
He vented nervously as he stared down at Jazz's impossibly small frame as he initiated the stasis protocols via his holoform... the split views from his two forms were disconcerting on his processor, but there was no other way that he could do this... The saboteur's current frame was still to fragile for him to even think about using anything but his holoform for this part of the operartion, with his bipedal mode in stand by... His tanks felt like twisting as he stared down with his holoform's eyes.
I have done this before... It was no different than any other time that I have made a spark transfer... But the spark was so tiny... So small, fragile compared to what it once was... it was a sheer miracle that Jazz had been preserved in this minuscule form... he knelt to the small frame and opened the transfer canister.
Moving quickly, he gently coaxed the spark out of it's current housing and into the container before sealing it in and focusing his consciousness on his real form. His holoform had gone lax, still tightly gripping the canister as he grabbed it and dismissed his holoform.
He quickly turned and lowered the pulsing spark to it's original housing. The spark flared brightly, momentarily blinding Ratchet as it rekindled the life of it's original frame. The humming sound of onlining systems greeted Ratchet's audios. Smiling he took a hesitant step back as Jazz's processor onlined, his frame tense from a mixture of disuse and the now fading battle protocols that Jazz had last used in this frame.
"Ratch'?" the bot said as he went to shakily sit up. Relief flooded into Ratchet before he moved forward to help Jazz, noticing when he winced slightly.
"Welcome back Jazz." Ratchet smiled. "If you dare try to get off that berth without assistance I will whack you with my wrench. I may completely repaired your frame but It doesn't mean that you won't be sore." he said instantly going into full Hatchet mode.
Jazz smiled at the older bot. "Ah didn' need ya ta tell me tha'. Pit Ratch' Ah feel like slag..."
"And you should you fragging idiot! I would love to know what the hell possessed you in that battle to pull something so reckless. " Ratchet growled at him. " You need to recharge so that your systems can properly recalibrate. Now sit still so that I can put in the energon drip." Ratchet moved away and began to hook up the Iv.
"Ya have no idea how good it feels ta be back in mah old frame..."
"Just note that I have a wrench with your name on it if you ever pull a stunt like this again Jazz." the medic said before he put Jazz into a forced recharge. :Ratchet to Optimus. The operation was a success.:
:What's Jazz's current status?:
:I've put him into stasis so that his systems can recalibrate properly. He should be up and about in a day or two, he is to be on light duty until I am satisfied that he is well.:
:Understood.: Optimus cut the comm link.
There was a cheer in the hallway as Optimus relayed the news to the other two bots waiting for the results. Ratchet took a shaky seat on one of the spare berths, rubbing a servo over his faceplate.
"Say Ratchet?"
The medic blinked at the voice before finally noticing that he had had an audience. Eight was sitting there smiling. "What that blue orb thingy?"
Ratchet smiled at the youngling. "That Octavius was Jazz's spark. Everything that we are is contained in our sparks, our memories, our emotions, our personalities."
"So it's his soul then..."
Ratchet blinked at his choice of words. For all his pretenses and from what Jazz had told him, the boy was smart. But he hadn't expected the youngling to be that sharp. "Why yes. that would be correct..."
The two sat in silence for several minutes, the bot gazing back and forth from Jazz to the somewhat fidgeting boy. Finally after a while the boy asked, "Um... So... could you tell me more about how your bodies work? I mean if you want to that is... I can understand if you don't wanna." the boys shoulders sagged as he ducked his head down.
"Our frames are very similar to how your organic bodies are composed, however lets start with the simple terminology..." Ratchet started, Eight's head snapping up to meet his attention, listening intently to him with a bright smile...