Transformers Prime Story Shots:
Only two this time cause 8 is pretty lenthy.
#7
Paying respects to the fallen Prowl Jazz runs into someone he didn't expect
Animated (I know it's not Prime but I'm sneaking it in!) Jazz - Lockdown (No admitted Pairings.)
The memorial garden was large. A statue of Optimus loomed over it; much to the Prime's feel it was unnecessary. Jazz took slow steps through the empty garden, filled with crystals and large lines. Beautiful metal sculptures.
Jazz sighed as he took another step forward. His hands clutched his cyber-chucks in his hands, they tightened and stressed his nerve lines fluxed.
As he rounded the corner to the rear of the garden he froze. There, at the shrine left for Prowl who had shown such self-sacrifice, was a mech knelt down. The large mech's hand rested on the large metal casing and he frowned. Over him loomed a small bust of the mech who had given his life to make the all spark whole.
Jazz observed the mech quietly. He knew the description of the bounty hunter. He just wanted to see what he was up to.
"You know I know you're there kid." The larger mech said as he shifted to stand.
Jazz pressed out into the open and waited. "You must be Lockdown."
The large mech gave him a single nod. "Come to arrest me?" The larger mech smirked. "Take me in?" Lockdown leaned forward placing a larger helm on the statue of the fallen mech.
"Depends on your intention." Jazz said his fingers still flexing around his weapons. "Just came to place a helm on him?"
"It's his helm." Lockdown said and reached up thumbing dust off golden tongs. "Were you there?"
"When his spark guttered out? Yes." Jazz didn't move.
"They say it was his choice…" The bounty hunter appeared to falter.
Jazz nodded. "Yes." He finally spoke, knowing the bounty hunter before him wasn't looking his way.
"Damnit kid." Lockdown said to the shine. "Why?" He asked knowing full well no one would answer. He looked up into the metal blank eyes of the statue and sighed.
"You cared for him?" Jazz asked trying to keep a tone out of his vocals.
"As you did." Lockdown read him well.
"He was no master." Jazz admitted.
"He deserved to be…. especially after this." Lockdown shook his own helm, his white face turning.
"He never finished training." Jazz stated.
"Well, I think in the end he knew what was to be learned." Lockdown countered.
"How do you know?" Jazz finally took one step forward his voice edging on annoyance.
Lockdown chuckled. "Ah you're like him." He smiled softly. "Egar, quick, and easy to judge." He nodded.
"What do you know of Prowl?" Jazz said pointing a finger his remaining digits still coiled around his weapon.
"I know he and I had an understanding." He said softly. "That we were alike." He turned back to the statue laying a tender hand on the helm of the statue.
"You were nothing like him." Jazz countered his hand lowering.
"And you were?" Lockdown couldn't help his laugh. "Well you finished your training." He stated softly. "You're a Metalikato master." He nodded. "I did too, but I rejected their teachings."
"You killed Yoketron." Jazz accused.
Lockdown appeared to break as he turned. "I RESPECTED Yoketron!" he yelled. "I defended him!" he stated. "I failed and I was run off as the accused." He turned back to the statue. "You know nothing of me…or him." He looked up at the Bust of Prowl.
"You think Prowl would have forgiven you?" Jazz seethed.
"He already did." Lockdown said and reached across his forearm and activated a personal cloaking device.
Jazz blinked and looked around; the mech had slipped through his hands. He shifted and moved forward to the shrine. "Him Prowl?" Jazz shook his helm. "Why him?" He asked as he looked back nervously.
Lockdown was almost 10 feet back now still cloaked watching the white ninja as he placed his hands down on the ground bowing in front of the shrine still holding in his hands those weapons. Lockdown gave a low vent. "So alike." He mused comparing Jazz and Prowl.
Giving a small smile. "Next time." He stated knowing there would be more encounters with this lithe white mech. "Next time you won't fight so hard." He turned and made his way to his cloaked ship.
#8
Transformers Prime
Before the end of Season 2: Dinobots arrive; Grimlock and Optimus have a past.
NASA had discovered the landing pods before the Autobots had, but Agent Fowler had brought it to their attention, and the Autobots were able to recover the two pods before NASA could arrive. The pods housed three Autobot refugees, from the end of the era. An old era that was beyond remembrance for some, but for others, still remained a deeply seated recollection in the fore of their minds.
Ratchet had left the three in a back room as he rubbed his servos. "They are …sleeping." He stated calmly.
"But you guys don't sleep." Miko piped up interrupting Ratchet's train of thought. "You Recharge right? We all know that."
Ratchet sighed. "I was using the vernacular for the sake of Ms. Darby." He stated making his way over to the medical console to check the scans from the previous hour.
June smiled up from her place on the couch with her novel. "Please continue with what you were about to say Doctor."
"They are sleeping." He repeated calmly "I gave them something to calm them down."
"They were huge…except for the last one." Miko smiled.
"Swoop is the smallest." Ratchet nodded and sighed looking up at Prime. "They'll be alright but they have to stay in the base, we can't just let them wander."
"Why not?" Miko asked blinking innocently enough, but still considerably interjecting herself wherever she chould. "I mean they are just like you right?"
Ratchet sighed and glared at her but it was more frustration than annoyance.
"Miko." Optimus walked over to her. "These three Autobots are much more than just ordinary Cybertronians." He said to her taking her enthusiasm in stride.
"What are they?" Miko seemed excited. "Airplanes? Trains? Is the small one a vespa?"
"They are sick." Ratchet said softly coming to the side to help explain it to her. Miko seemed confused. "Unwell, and suffering."
June blinked. "What are they sick with Doctor? Do you have a cure?" She folded her bookmark into the novel and turned to Ratchet with a concerned face.
"They were an elite combat group on Cybertron…a group of three that took on two more members." Ratchet turned. "Their unit was captured by a Decepticon called Shockwave."
Miko looked across the room at Arcee who had remained silent. "That's the same guy who?" Arcee nodded. "This can't be good." Miko's head shook sagely. "What happened to them?"
"Shockwave." Optimus continued. "Experimented on Grimlock and his companions." He stated softly. "Using Spacebridge technology he searched the cosmos for another planet with life and used the scans of the planet to make larger forms for the mechs he had taken prisoner."
"However in doing so he compromised their processors, fused their T-Cogs." Ratchet continued. "They can scan new forms …just can't use them." He shook his helm. "They were getting frustrated so I removed their ability to scan…they are effectively stuck in their robot modes."
"Can they transform at all?" Miko asked.
"Oh yes." Optimus said softly. "When they become angered their bodies trigger a transformation that is something amazing to see." He nodded though the words had a touch of reverence. "They take the form of creatures that your race calls dinosaurs."
June stifled a laugh. "You're kidding right?"
The blue optics that stared at her blinked once, but didn't laugh or respond. "You're serious?" June put a hand to her mouth. "Oh I'm so sorry."
"Most serious Nurse Darby." Ratchet stated calmly. "If they get angered, they revert to their baser instincts, taking their dinosaur forms; at that point they cannot be controlled. The most anyone could do is direct them, or aim them." He sighed. "It's a serious problem to say the least."
"What do we plan to do with them?" Arcee asked from across the room.
"We will do what we would with any other Cybertronian land fall, we will do whatever we can to make them comfortable." Optimus explained.
The door behind Ratchet opened and a Very tall mech ducked into the room. "Grimlock you should be resting." Ratchet chastised the large mech.
"No…" Grimlock's visor flashed slightly. "Speak to Prime."
Ratchet looked at Optimus. "I will speak with you." Optimus smiled paying Ratchet's glare no heed. "Your team?"
Grimlock looked behind. "Sleep." He stated. "Resting."
Optimus motioned his hand forward and the mech walked with him Optimus looking up just to make optic contact. He directed the larger mech away and they walked. They stepped beyond the others down the log corridor that held their storage of relics. They passed each, Grimlock looking into the vast valts. "What troubles you Grimlock?"
Optimus' voice pulled the dinobot commander out of his revery. "Cannot leave." He stated. Optimus knew that sometimes his statements would be mingled with questions. Questions un-asked, but that would still need answered.
"No I'm sorry you cannot, but we will see to it you do get to go outside at some point."
"When?" Grimlock asked insistently.
"When it is dark." Optimus smiled softly up at him. "We just have to be careful that no one sees you."
"Agreed." Grimlock nodded sagely and looked around. "Home?"
"Yes this is our Home." Optimus explained walking the long corridor. "These are the relics that were gathered from around the globe. These are the Iocon relics." He stated.
Grimlock nodded and took a few steps and stopped. "Femme." He pointed.
"Yes Arachnid…she is in stasis." He stated calmly. "she is dangerous. Very Dangerous." He hoped repeating would make the subject hold in the dinobot's mind.
"She like Grimlock." He stated. "Animal."
Optimus hadn't given it much thought. "Yes I suppose she is…though she unlike you could scan other terrestrial guises." Optimus said.
Something snapped in Grimlock and he growled. Slamming his hand into the wall before his hands hit the floor and he transformed. His head rose up with a roar and his nostrils smoldered. "GRIMLOCK!" Optimus' voice rose and the dinosaur looked at him. "I know how angry it makes you." Optimus held out his hands and walked forward lowering his voice drastically. "Easy." He said calmly. "I shall not harm you."
Grimlock backed up a step and then turned his helm around lowering his snout. Optimus touched his helm between his wide-set optics. "Easy." He repeated and the dinobot growled quietly.
Ratchet ran into the corridor with Arcee. "We heard him Roar." Arcee uttered as she stopped dead in her tracks looking up.
"We're fine….go back." Optimus waved them back with his free hand. "He's fine…Are you not?" his optics turned to the dinosaur.
Grimlock nodded a bit dumbly. Optimus smiled. "I'll calm him." He repeated. "I want you to leave us."
"Optimus I must Protest this decision-"
Optimus turned his optics upon Ratchet and said only one word. "Go."
Ratchet sighed and eyed the both of them a few times before shaking his helm and turning tail with Arcee just behind.
"What's he going to do?" Arcee asked as they rounded a corner.
Ratchet sealed the bulkhead for the storage hall and sighed. "Most likely something they should not."
Optimus was silent as he brought his other hand up under the dinosaur's jaw. "Please revert back to your robotic mode." He stated with an heir of calm.
"Step back." Optimus nodded and lowered his hands slowly, cautiously. Grimlock turned and his helm dipped into his body and he reverted back pushing his hands up off the ground he stood. "Appologize." He stated.
"You needn't be sorry to me Grimlock." Optimus said calmly. "It was wrong of me to bring up her ability that you lack. That said, however, I believe that Ratchet may be able to study her code, perhaps we can better understand how your transformations are coded to your t-cogs." Optimus ventured slightly hoping it would appease the dinobot.
Grimlock nodded. "Yes." He stated again. "very good." His helm turned in the direction of the femmebot in stasis. "Pretty spider lady."
"Very dangerous." Optimus repeated himself again, he knew Grimlock's comprehension was high, but he didn't want to chance the fact if the dinobot made a terrible choice.
"Yes…stay from spider lady." Grimlock looked away. "Rare prize."
"A female is yes." Optimus nodded. "It grieves me to see her in stasis, but it's for her safety and ours."
"Arcee female breeder?" Grimlock's helm tipped.
"No." Optimus shook his head. "Never without her consent." He stated.
Grimlock seemed to understand and nodded moving slowly around the room. "We spar?"
"We can train here yes and have a training room, if you can keep yourself under control." Optimus assured.
"Can keep control of anger." Grimlock stated evenly. "Spark hurts over brothers."
"Yes Sludge and Slag." Optimus nodded. "I read swoop's report." He cantered his head to one side. "You need rest." He tried to make it sound as if he was being kind, but he was getting frustrated already. It was hard to be in Grimlock's presence, when the slightest thing could set the dinobot off.
"Cannot rest, Mind too busy." Grimlock turned and looked around. "Cannot rest."
"Please Grimlock, you've had a long journey. I will be happy to discuss more with you once you are completely recharged like your brothers."
Grimlock thought on this and nodded. "Am sorry." He shook his helm.
"For?" Optimus folded his arms over his own chest.
"For not being what once I was." He stated looking up. "For not being Grimlock anymore."
"Grimlock." Optimus sighed. "I do not feel differently because of your change."
Grimlock nodded and stepped to the Prime's side and grabbed him leaning down to kiss the smaller mech.
Optimus didn't reciprocate for a long moment but then gave into the chaste kiss. "Rest." He said against the DInobot's lips. "You need the rest."
Grimlock nodded. "Because you say…" He rose and broke from the Prime. "Speak more soon?"
"Indeed." Optimus nodded. Time had changed him even if he had told Grimlock it hadn't.
More next time!