I'm alive! Well sorta... For all of ya waiting on BnB I am working on the next chapter. I've been a tad under the weather and I've been crazy busy with family and graduations and such but I'm finally done with em. Now it's really only work that I've got ta juggle with. As for this one this is the last chapter of 387. There is a sequel planned... One I've set up with various hints (some very obvious others not...) For those of you wondering, the title of this story is derived from Jazz's position as 3IC of the Autobots, and the meanings of Octavius' name 8, and Bay's name 7. But that number does turn up again in the next story... Until then, have fun folks.
Chapter 11
~x~
~Optimus~
~x~
He could tell the red haired femme's reply long before he had even finished his explanation, so when he wasn't surprised by her curt reply.
"No."
"But Aunt Bay you heard what they said-"
"Ms. Baxter... I really must insist-"
"NO. I said no." Bay threw her hands into the air. "This recent expenditure has been nothing short of... stressful. Hell Octavius this mess basically their fault. All of it! Why should I even in my right mind begin to contemplate thinking that this is a good idea? We're better off moving to Rio and starting anew there."
"Sigma-"
"Oh no. Not you missy I am not listening to you either." Bay spat at Mikaela. "Do you realize how fudged up my life has been for the last two weeks? All because some military jackass-" a venomous glare was shot at Major Lennox, "-Decided to hide a freaking divine alien artifact in Mission City? Hell I would have chosen the freaking desert. Not only is there plenty of room for a battle royale, there are all of those abandoned mines and caverns that would have been safer than putting thousands of lives at risk. It's bad enough the dumbasses in the government hid the wretched thing in the Hoover Dam. Which we are very lucky the baddies didn't destroy considering that the fallout from that alone would have wiped out at least a million people downstream."
"...Are you done yet?"
"Young man do not even-"
"Aunt Bay Please just think about it. Robocop saw us as clear as day, these guys are offering to keep an eye on us until the dude is taken care of." Eight said as he grabbed her hands. "Besides wouldn't you like some more help with keeping an eye on me? Wouldn't it be better than lojacking my phone?"
Bay glanced down at her dark-skinned nephew for several minutes before she sighed and looked away. "... be glad I didn't microchip you as well runt." she said crossing her arms. "Fine but are you sure you can afford to keep a tail on me and Octavius? Last time I counted there are only five of you... and forgive me if I'm wrong but it sounds like there are more of those Con guys around than there are of you."
Optimus' lip plates twitched as he tried to keep from smiling at how quick the boy was able to diffuse the woman's temper before he stated, "Fortunately for us, you government has decided to give us this base for our operations. Seeing that this base is not that far from your community it should be no problem for Jazz to be your guardian."
A crimson brow arched. "... The pipsqueak?"
"Hey now who ya callin' a Pipsqueak?" A familiar jovial voice rumbled from behind her. Bay spun around to blink up at the fully restored Jazz. "Cause the last time Ah check Ah was a bit taller than ya lil lady."
Bay smirked. "Well in all honesty bub, you are still shorter than the rest of your friends."
"Ya wound meh." Jazz held a servo over his spark chamber in mock pain.
"You'll live." Bay replied before turning her gaze back up to Optimus. "I guess I can put up with Shorty if he can deal with my barbs..." she rubbed the back of her head. "I guess I owe you an apology for my earlier tirade... I guess I can just most of this on the dumdums in the government and whatnot... So... Sorry?"
Optimus smiled down at the woman. "It is quite alright Ms. Baxter..."
~x~
~Jazz~
~x~
Jazz tuned out the rest of conversation. His processor was thinking over the conversation that he had had with Ratchet the night before about Eight...
Ratchet pulled a datapad out of his subspace. It displayed the results of a scan he had taken of Eight when the boy had first drifted off.
"Say Ratchet."
Ratchet glanced up from the data pad. "Yes Jazz?"
"Is he gonna be alrigh'?" Jazz asked looking over to the boy.
"I neutralized the poisonous effect of the energon in his system... however it is still in his body. I can't remove it since my current scan reveal that the energon has broken down to a cellular level. With time and perhaps luck it will eventually disperse."
He shook his helm as the thought of, But what if it doesn't disperse? He had looked up all the ill effects that foreign substances had on the human body... His processor was fraught with inner turmoil... Did Bay know about Eight's energon poisoning? He doubted it... not with the way he had heard the officials talking to Eight in the hospital about the whole M.C. incident...
He looked down through his visor at the smiling boy as he joked around with his Aunt, who begrudgeonly had a weak smile on her face... He could tell she wasn't exactly pleased about the whole situation but she wasn't still protesting either... There was that same resigned look in her eyes that she had been wearing since he had first set sight on her. She had every right to the ranting tongue lashing that she dished out earlier... Because she was right... He vented a sigh. This was going to be one hard assignment..
SO yep there is a sequel lot bunny lurking around in the pasture waiting to be found...
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