A/N: This does not follow the original story of Transformers Animated. This is just my take of the war before going to Earth. So if you think this follows along the plot, you are wrong. Sorry if anyone seems OOC to you. Enjoy. This story is kind of an AU, but that doesn't matter.

Operation Infiltration

Chapter One: Enemy Turned Ally

The dark, empty corridors of the Autobot ship The Ark were becoming more quiet, much more than usual. Its usual open and wide decks, lined with barracks and berthrooms, once filled with Cybertronian life, remained empty and bare in this hallway on the third deck. The common well lined room was black and ashen with Decepticon blasters, and two Autobots stood by the foot of the previous fire, viewing it with their optics.

"I see no reason why the Decepticons found this a necessary time for incursion," said the first Autobot, leaning on one knee before the mech lifted from the ground. "Energon runs short in these times, and would even Decepticons attack us at this megacycle?"

The second Autobot, clenching his digits around the barrel of his gun, looked back to the first Autobot, and he shook his head. "Optimus, I know these past few orbital cycles have been rough on us, but not even Decepticons would spare their own brothers, you dig?"

The brick colored Autobot, Optimus Prime, turned from where he stood and nodded with agreement. "Understood, Jazz. But now is not the time to worry about such things. Cliffjumper informed us a few kliks ago that Longarm Prime located a few injured units outside of the attack zone who fled from Decepticon fire. We need to recover them as soon as possible."

Jazz, his chassis a bright white color, waved his servos through the air and shook his head. "Now now, Optimus. Should I allow you to waste your time with that task, I could practically be Starscream. I'll check it out myself. I'm sure you got better things to do with your time."

"If you insist," the larger mech said, turning around back towards the long hallways of the Ark. "But I would prefer you bring someone along, someone who might not be up to anything. Decepticons could be lurking aboard the Ark and I would not wish for you to be ambushed."

"Erector might be available." Jazz looked back to the black stains of gunfire on the walls and floor.

Optimus shook his head. "Erector was injured during the counter attack on the Decepticon invasion. I know someone who can help. Bumblebee. He was carrying data to the bridge so Ultra Magnus could acquire information about the attack. If you get there in time, he may still be there."

Jazz nodded before he started down the tunnel of the Ark, his peds clashing into the floor beneath him. Jazz chuckled at such the thought of Bumblebee making it on time. Since when was that goofball ever on time?

Better yet, when was Bumblebee ever too much help, either?

It was only about a breem before Jazz reached the bridge to the Ark. He walked into the opening of the door, and he could see many Cybertronians at work among the consoles and controls. He turned his head, seeing Ultra Magnus at the head of the ship while Optimus was away. He must have been assigned control. Typical.

And then he could see the familiar faced yellow and black mech Bumblebee, now arriving from the main deck. The male Cybertronian walked across the bridge all the way to Ultra Magnus' consoles, and then he saluted firmly with his right servo.

"At ease," said Ultra Magnus, turning to look down at the smaller Autobot. "What is it I can do for you, soldier?"

Lowering his servo after being relieved, Bumblebee lifted the small datapad from his opposite servo to allow the more authorized Cybertronian to examine its contents with his own blue optics. Bumblebee placed the datapad back on the console beside Ultra Magnus, and then scratched his neck idly. "Optimus wanted me to send this. It has all the files about the most recent Decepticon attack."

Ultra Magnus looked back at the datapad that was left on the console, and then he dismissed Bumblebee with a firm dip of his head. "I'll ensure Optimus gets word that the datapad arrived to the bridge and to my braincore. I'll send Agent Blurr to confirm this."

Giving another unneeded salute, Bumblebee turned to leave the bridge, but not before Jazz could slink over from where he entered. He looked at the slightly smaller mech and then nodded for the Cybertronian to meet with him. After confirming the message with a brief, yet still intended eye roll, Bumblebee padded over to where Jazz stood.

"What's up, Jazz?" asked the yellow and black mech.

"Optimus-" started Jazz, before he was cut off by Bumblebee's agitated groan.

"Optimus? Again? Gee, why I oughta earn the title 'Run Boy.' Or is that just because I'm the fastest, not to mention coolest, Autobot Cybertron has ever seen?" asked the all too self-conceived mech, with a talented grin written across his faceplate, his denta gleaming in the light.

Jazz snorted. "Not important. Cliffjumper has it that soldiers from the attack are still behind in the debris. I needed some help going to grab them, and Optimus mentioned that you were pretty much free on the schedule. So are you going to get your head out of your exhaust port and help me with this?"

Bumblebee sighed. "Yea, I suppose I have to. Hate to say no, especially to Optimus, since getting on his bad side is never fun."

Jazz retorted swiftly, annoyed slightly. "Can we just quit wasting time and move? I don't suppose you have better things to do if you want it to take this long. First signal is from the bottom deck, all the way down to the fifth floor. That's where the Decepticons attacked first."

"Chill!" Bumblebee said, swinging his arms to his head and raising his digits out in each direction, surrendering. "If that's where the signal is, then let's go. I hate to be late."

"You say that as if you aren't always," Jazz smirked.

"It's a habit, alright?"

"Yea, yea, I dig you."

It took only a few kliks before they reached the bottom deck of the Ark. Jazz and Bumblebee headed towards the location of the Autobot soldiers and ducked between thin lines of debris from the fire that the Decepticons and their blasters inflicted. Jazz nodded towards some huge chunks of the ship that remained askew on the ground.

"Hey, Bee, help me out with this," said the taller mech, grabbing the debris with his servos and attempting to haul the all-too big piece of debris from the pile.

Bumblebee walked over, his peds light and delicate as he stepped over dangerous mounds and folds of the damaged Ark. He used his own servos to grab the same piece of debris that Jazz was attempting to move and then he pushed it aside with a heavy push from both Cybertronians.

Jazz decided to rile some conversation from the smaller mech. "How long has it been since you were last at the Autobot Boot Camp, trying to become a member of the Elite Guard?"

Bumblebee shrugged helplessly. "Feels like it was only a few joors ago. Had I not stepped up for my buddy Bulkhead, I would have been an Elite Guard."

"Hmm, and why's that?" asked the deep voiced mech beside him as they paced down the scarred hallways.

"Because I caught the Decepticon spy… Wasp." Bumblebee seemed to have an issue getting the name out of his throat, and then sent Jazz's backbone infrastructure tingling with curiosity. He continued to press on about the subject, a grin written on his face plate, his denta showing.

"Wasp was a Decepticon spy? I heard news of the topic before, especially back when I became an Elite Guard myself. But I never imagined the rumors were true. And especially having learned that you were the one who caught 'im. Decepticon punk." Jazz noticed Bumblebee twitch idly in the back from where he stood.

"Yea, I was glad to get Wasp off my back. He was never nice to me and Bulkhead. I was just always 'bumbling' around, as Sentinel Prime always said. I'm still a little uncomfortable about the topic, regarding the fact that Wasp swore revenge on my spark," Bumblebee replied nervously.

"Oh, did he?" asked the taller Cybertronian. "And he is still in prison, yea?"

"Uh-huh."

Jazz could feel the fluid pump in Bumblebee's chassis pick up in speed. What's that little guy so worried about? Best not to ask, I suppose.

Jazz decided to leave the topic at that. He turned to look into the final room of the bottom deck, and he could hear a low groan from an Autobot nearby. Taking a few paces forward, his optics scanned the room for signs of life, before he could identify a shape on the ground, coolant leaking from his wounds.

"Hey, Bumblebee, we got one over here." Jazz looked at the shape that was lying on the ground, and he picked it up swiftly. The Autobot that he held kicked and squirmed, pointing and letting off low hoots of alarm. "What is it?"

"De-decepticon…" the voice trailed off into the blue and Jazz curled his digits tighter around the Cybertronian.

"Decepticon?" Jazz turned, before he could hear Bumblebee shout from behind him.

"Jazz, look out!"

Jazz turned as he saw a shape running at him from the darkness. The white mech nearly drop the Autobot at his peds, but he instead watching Bumblebee take fire on the Decepticon from the higher advantage on the debris he was standing on.

The Decepticon whipped around, snarling, before pulling out his own blaster and taking aim on the yellow and black mech on the foot of the debris. He started to climb the rubble of the ship, shooting his blaster at the small Cybertronian, who fled behind cover as soon as he could.

"Bumblebee! Try to distract him while I get this guy into cover!" Jazz shouted from the bottom of the damaged hull where a large mound was dented in the metal.

"I can only try, right?" Bumblebee retorted, using his blaster to send the Decepticon falling back into the mast below him. Jazz laid the Autobot down on the cold floor before he attempted to see in the dark light of the bottom deck.

The only remnants of light he could make out was the blue color of Bumblebee's blaster which was taking fire at the fallen Decepticon, who stood back to his peds and ran to cover at the far end of the room. Jazz saw a pillar on the other end of the deck with his optics, and ran over as quickly as he could.

Using the blaster that he had equipped on his arm, he pushed the tall pillar over, right in the direction of the Decepticon, who turned and looked at the falling pillar, before leaping out of the way and started firing in the direction of the more mature Autobot.

Jazz fled behind more cover, using his optics to train his eyes on the injured Autobot soldier still at the foot of the crushed mound in the hull. The white mech watched in horror when the Decepticon reached over and grabbed the injured Autobot from the place where he sat in the hull, and started getting dragged into the darkness of the bottom deck.

Man, why do the lights down here have to be bust? Blast those Decepticons for attacking the Ark at this time.

Jazz looked back to Bumblebee. "Bee, try to get him to set the Autobot down!"

Bumblebee snorted in response. "If I could see him!"

It was only a moment for another blaster was heard in the darkness. Jazz and Bumblebee paused, and Jazz felt himself sigh. The Autobot had to have been killed, seeing as the fact that no one else was there other then-

The Decepticon body dropped from the darkness, crashing into the ground, lifeless. The injured Autobot crawled out of the shallow corner where he was dropped, and he looked back to the other two Autobots that were lugging behind cover.

"Who saved me?" asked the Autobot, turning back to the Elite Guard and the Scout.

"Wasn't me," Jazz said. "What about you, Bumblebee?"

"Nah," said the smaller Cybertronian.

"I saved you," hissed a voice from the dark corner. Jazz spun around, his blaster ready to take fire upon the unfamiliar voice that he heard from the darkness, but then lowered it when he saw who it was.

Just the person of topic. Wasp.

"Wasp?" asked Jazz, peering through the dim light of the broken ship to make sure he was seeing right. "What are you doing here?"

"Got myself out of prison," snapped the smaller mech. "But for good reason. I wasn't the Decepticon spy! And my great friend Bumblebee should be happy to see me. Miss me while I was away?"

Bumblebee, shakily, lifted from the place where he was taking cover, and then he nodded, almost sarcastically, almost sincerely, though it was hard for Jazz to tell. "Yea, uh, great to see you."

The injured Autobot hissed from where he was lying. "You belong in prison!" he snarled. "I don't know what Energon you've been taking to make you think you could just come back here, let alone escape from prison-"

"I didn't escape," Wasp snorted. "I had important information to tell the Autobots, so with a little help, I managed to convince the Autobots to send me back. But not without an escort."

Jazz looked around. "I don't see any escort."

"Don't be a mudflap," the Cybertronian said. "He went back once I reached The Ark."

Jazz narrowed his eyes suspiciously, mainly from the fact that the escort was gone and the former prisoner was eyeing Bumblebee so harshly. "What's the news, then?"

"Not for Minors' ears," the green tinted mech huffed, staring at Bumblebee with his blue optics. "I need to speak with Longarm Prime and Ultra Magnus. Take me to them."

Bumblebee decided to slip in his two cents. "I don't know who died and made you boss around here, but this isn't Autobot Boot Camp. This isn't your shindig anymore. You don't tell anyone what to do, traitor."

Wasp flamed with infuriation, but after a moment's second thought, he calmed down. "Whatever, let's just go."

Jazz saw Bumblebee begin to open his mouth with protest, but Jazz drove his right servo across his throat, indicating to the smaller mech now wasn't the time for bickering. Bumblebee snorted with a small hint of anger, but he decided to obey the more authorized Cybertronian.

After walking back over to the injured Cybertronian and bringing him with them, Jazz followed after the already moving Wasp, heading for the entrance shaft at the far end of the room. Bumblebee walked closer to Jazz to whisper something. "Wonder what Buzz-Boy thinks he's doing back here?"

"Doesn't matter, I suppose. What matters is his loyalties. He could be a spy again, attempting to worm his way back into this mess. I guess we just wait for him to finish up with Longarm and Ultra Magnus before we judge his fate."

It was only a few joors later when Wasp reemerged from the conference room with Ultra Magnus and Longarm Prime. Jazz and Bumblebee were sitting at the one of the lobby chairs, before looking up to see Ultra Magnus wave for them to come over.

"What's the news?" asked the Ninja-Bot.

"At his time in prison, Wasp seemed to have picked up on a Decepticon signal, planning to take The Ark and all of the Energon reserves on it from a snowy hide-out on a planet just outside of Cybertron, known as A-I. We have decided to trust Wasp in the time being, to avoid being assaulted," Ultra Magnus informed them.

"We have decided to send you, Bumblebee, and Wasp to A-I to gather information when we pick up the exact coordinate. Wasp will lead the patrol since he knows the location," Longarm Prime added.

"What?!" Bumblebee leapt up. "The traitor just got back from escaping prison and now he gets to lead a stealth team? What's happened to our chain in command?"

Wasp was grinning from where he stood, his denta gleaming in the thin lights of the bridge. "I get to lead because I can find the coordinates on the planet A-I."

Bumblebee wasn't finished with his output. "Why not send Prowl? He has tons of more information about the subject, and we don't need a traitor to be leading an important mission. What has Wasp done to prove himself? How do you know if he isn't making this all up?"

"Because we just checked the coordinates," a new voice hissed. Ironhide walked from his spot on the bridge. "It's correct, meaning that Wasp just gave away the position of a Decepticon hideout and if calling it so myself, then he just turned his back on the Decepticons he used to work with."

"It could be a trap!" Bumblebee retorted. "They could have it set up!"

"Now's not the time to be worrying about such," Ironhide snapped. "If the chance of Decepticon incursion is among us, any risk, no matter how big or small, is needed to be taken. We're running out of Energon, and if we lose it, then we lose the war."

"So the decision is final. Wasp will wake you guys up tomorrow to go to A-I as the leader and the commander of the patrol," Longarm jeered. "Dismissed."

Wasp smirked from where he sat, watching the Autobot leaders leave them. "Still a 'traitor' and leading a mission? You must be a worthless scrap-pile if your leaders were not even hesitant to allow me, the Cybertronian who just 'escaped' from prison, to lead an important stealth team."

Bumblebee twitched from rage as Wasp beamed with pride, and as he continued running his mouth. "Longarm must have some faith in me!"

"What did you say to make them put you in charge?" Bumblebee snapped, finally breaking his final nerve. "Did you offer them your hugs and kisses and your absolute loyalty?"

Wasp hissed in anger. "Quiet, dirt-bot, or I'll leave you in the lockers again! And little Longarm isn't going to be there to save you this time!"

Bumblebee practically could have lashed out at the slightly taller mech, but Jazz stood in Bumblebee's way once he saw him tense his "muscles."

"Now is not the time for arguing, Bumblebee. Let's go get some rest in the barracks, you dig that?" Jazz asked.

"Yea, I suppose so." Bumblebee shot a hating look towards the now waving Wasp, who was snickering and laughing as both of the other Autobots walked away from the bridge.

"I hope to see you tomorrow morning, dork bot!" yelped the green mech, laughs slipping from his vocalizers.

A few more kliks down the hallways before finally they reached the barracks to their berthrooms, Jazz and Bumblebee walked in, and closed the door shut tight behind them.

"Man, I hate that Wasp!" snapped Bumblebee, heaving with anger. "I want to rip that smile right off his face plate!"

"I understand, Bee." Jazz started to head towards his berth, his peds quiet not to wake any other sleeping Autobots in their barracks. "But sometimes we need to let the past stay behind us, and not walk with us. Try to get used to Wasp. He might have changed while he was away."

"Doubtful," Bumblebee retorted dryly. "A bot's personality component never changes."

"And that's why we just have to wait and see, brother," Jazz responded. "C'mon, let's go get some recharge. It's gonna be a big day tomorrow."

"A day I'd rather miss out on," Bumblebee huffed. "Can I change my role for someone else to take it? I'd rather sit and wait night hours and not get my Energon refill for the next three days then sit and patrol with Wasp."

"Not an option. Now let's go."

Bumblebee sighed, before he nodded his head and continued to his berthroom. Jazz looked back over his shoulder to see the much smaller bot leaving his view and disappearing. He heaved a heavy sigh. He didn't know he was going to get mixed up in this big mess.

Jazz walked over to his own berth and sat down on the rather hard material. He couldn't help but wonder about such factors that were going to be in play tomorrow.

Are Bumblebee and Wasp's hate for each other going to cause me to slow down tomorrow? They'd better hope not, or I'm going to give 'em something both of them are seriously going to think about.

Jazz decided to ignore it, for the better of the mission. All that was important was for the Autobots to discover what was really hiding on A-I, and for Jazz to terminate the problem if need be… and to discover what Wasp was really doing at the Autobot's last base.

"Wakey, wakey, Jazz," Wasp cooed. "Time for our big day with Bumblebee!"

Jazz opened his optics after hearing the slightly disturbing voice in his audio receptors. He saw Wasp staring down at him, and he shoved the blue-optic newly found ally aside from his berth. "All you had to do was knock, you know."

"Too time consuming. I needed to make sure you woke up, too."

Jazz snorted in response. He climbed out of his berth, watching the green mech beside him crawl forward and open the door to Bumblebee's berthroom and disappear on the inside. Jazz decided not to follow; what good would it do? It would just make him look like he had a part to play in setting it up, more like.

After pausing for a moment and turning back to see what Wasp was doing, he heard Bumblebee shout in pain from the berthroom. Jazz raced over, using his servos to clutch the wall to peer into the berthroom. He was too late to catch anything, hence Wasp was now leaving.

"What did you do?" snapped Jazz.

"Gave him a nice poke."

Jazz saw Bumblebee rubbing his head with his hand, heaving. Jazz walked over to support his friend. "What did he do to you?" he asked.

"Just as he said," Bumblebee grumbled. "Gave me a jab."

Jazz turned to look at Wasp, who was now leaving the barracks and heading out into the open hallways. Jazz left Bumblebee's side and followed after the patrol leader, heading up the hallway after exiting the barracks. Bumblebee's peds were heard behind him as they walked towards the hangar.

"We're taking the fastest model," Wasp retorted from ahead of them. "As ordered by Ultra Magnus, we're only going to be spending several joors there. Investigating, salvaging, anything of necessary order, we're doing it. Is that clear, especially to you, Bumblebutt?"

Bumblebee grit his teeth to keep back a nasty retort. "Understood."

"Good, then we won't have any issues," Wasp responded, before they disappeared onto the first deck, where several Autobot cadets were training under observation of Sentinel Prime. One of the cadets, a young mech with a lean body and a sharp chin, turned and saw the three Autobots walking across the first deck.

"Hey, isn't that Wasp, the prisoner from back way long ago?" the mech asked, holding his head up to watch them.

"Sure looks like it to me, Aftershock," said another mech, a more muscular Autobot who held his optics on the other Cybertronians. "Should we go ask, just to make sure?"

"Slag no, Blackhole," said Aftershock, holding his gaze. "I think we should just return to our duties. Sentinel Prime would be so mad at us if we so much decided to let it slip."

"Yea, I guess you're right. C'mon, I heard that Optimus Prime had a duty for us in the bottom deck if you want to go check it out," Blackhole said, standing from where they were positioned and turning back to Sentinel Prime, who was eyeing them from where he stood.

"Sir," Aftershock said, taking a step forward. "Permission to head to Optimus Prime."

Sentinel blinked. "Go ahead."

Both of the mechs disappeared down the flight of stairs where the three previous mechs, Wasp, Jazz, and Bumblebee, had previously emerged.

Jazz stood at the foot of the ship where they were going to take flight. "This is the one?" he asked, holding on to his hip with one servo.

"Yes," Wasp hissed, stepping forward. "This is the one assigned to us. Let's go, I don't want anyone slowing me down any further than you already have. C'mon, numb nose." Wasp motioned towards Bumblebee, who was seething with a small amount of anger, but remaining at his cool.

Jazz walked onto the ship, blinking his optics and crossing his arms, digits tapping at his sides. He watched Wasp take control of one of the pilot stations and then he closed the door to the ship behind Bumblebee.

"We'll be there soon," said Wasp as he set the course to auto-flight. "Now, we wait."

What seemed like it could have been joors from liftoff, the three finally landed on the snowy planet of A-I. Jazz opened the door to the ship, and felt the rough claws of Wasp pushing his way past the member of the Elite Guard.

"Outta the way, Jazz! Leaders take the front line," sneered the insect-named Cybertronian as he used his peds across the snow and out into the open planet. "C'mon, Bumblebutt, you falling behind? Or are you making sure that leaders are supposed to lead?"

Bumblebee emerged from the ship. "Nah," he said, falling in beside Jazz. "I was just refilling on Energon." Bumblebee raced across the snow, in front of the patrol leader, with a nice and wide smirk on his face plate, before he padded down the slope.

The planet was covered with nearby mountains, snow falling from the bright blue sky, and rocks and crags jarring up from out of the ground. It seemed hardly disturbed and even better, not a creature in sight. It would be an easy place to explore unless the Decepticons came raining out of the cavern that the coordinates led to.

Wasp began to snarl with anger, but he was halted by Jazz. "Hey, no need to whine, brother. The coordinates lead this way?"

Wasp opened his mouth to say something else, but then closed it. "Yea, it is," he snapped.

"Then let's go," Jazz retorted, running down the snowy slope after Bumblebee.

The wind ran along the snow covered planet, the sun high in the sky from where they stood. The heat wasn't so punishing on his white chassis, nor was it so bad on the bright yellow Bumblebee, but Wasp seemed to be in a heat stroke, clutching his head with his servos and rubbing them like he had a processor ache.

"Hey, you okay, Wasp?" asked Bumblebee. Originally, Jazz was sure, Bumblebee would be laughing at the fact that Wasp was in pain and suffering just like what Wasp had inflicted on him. Jazz grinned with content. Bumblebee had listened to him after all.

Wasp snorted. "Never better, Bumblebutt."

Bumblebee shrugged. Finally, the three Cybertronians reached the end of the snow slope and came to an entrance on the hillside.

Wasp jammed his head forward to see better. "This is it. Let's enter. And be alert."

Jazz pulled out his blaster, head determined for a Decepticon ambush, when he stuck his head in only to learn that the place was a narrow tunnel, leading on into the mountain in which the slope lead to. He watched Wasp take the head of the tunnel, and then he disappeared inside.

Jazz nodded for the smaller mech beside him to enter first. "Go on ahead, Bee. I got you covered."

Bumblebee nodded, before he too disappeared into the narrow tunnel of darkness that Wasp trudged into. Jazz soon slipped his own way into the cavern, and then he ducked underneath some low soil that hung on the ceiling of the tunnel.

After making it a few more paces, Jazz exited the tunnel into a wide, open cleft in the soil on the inside of the mountain. Wasp sighed, and Jazz could tell why he was upset.

The Decepticons were gone.

"This was the right cavern, right?" asked the yellow and black mech as he took a step forward to Wasp.

"Guaranteed," he retorted.

Jazz lifted his arm, tapping it with his digits on the right servo to alarm his teammates. Both of them turned to face the taller, white Cybertronian. "I'm gonna contact Optimus Prime, see what he has to say about all this."

"Very well," said Wasp, slinging to the back of the cave to find any evidence of a secret tunnel or wall. Bumblebee soon joined him.

Jazz lifted his gauntlet to his face plate. "Optimus, come in!"

"I hear you, Jazz," he heard the familiar voice of Optimus Prime say. "How can I assist you?"

"We seem to be in a pretty tight situation. The Decepticons from the cavern that Wasp reported to us are gone, and there is no evidence of them being there at all," Jazz responded.

"Hey!" Jazz heard Wasp shout from the back. "I found an entrance! And it looks like it could lead to the Decepticon ship!"

Jazz decided to inform Optimus. "We found an entrance that appears to be the way inside of a Decepticon ship. Orders, sir."

There was a moment's pause on the other end of the com link. "Everyone, your orders are clear. You wait for the Decepticons to reemerge from their ship and then you will ask permission to seek Lord Megatron, and tell him you wish to be on their side. You are going to spy for the Autobots."

Jazz blinked and looked back towards his team, who had the same reaction as the white chassis himself.

This was going to be an interesting new set of orders.

Autobot… spies?