Hey there! Sorry for the delay but I want to thank all of you who have been reading Shattered and keeping up interest. I'm afraid a lot of my focus has been on an original story I'm posting (which I sincerely hope you guys will check out; the link is in my profile) but as for this story let's get some more fun in there quick! Not that I don't love OP and Lita and all their angst, but there's only one bot that can add some humor to this plot line and I think you all know who that is! Jazz was so great in Animated that not including him now would just be plain wrong. Hope you enjoy the chapter! ;D

...

Fractured

4. Promotion

His meeting with Councilor Trion took longer then Optimus had thought it would, because it was early afternoon by the time he reached the elite guard commander's office. He had the nasty feeling that he was late as he knocked on the door. He tried to shake the feeling away, telling himself that the commander hadn't set a specific time to meet with him, but that didn't help chase away his sudden anxiety.

"Enter," came the somber voice of the Magnus from beyond the door. Steeling himself for the encounter, Optimus opened the door and stepped inside.

He was a little surprised when he saw that there were two bots in the room instead of the usual one. The tall and imposing Ultra Magnus was standing behind his desk, the Magnus Hammer in its usual place in his left hand. But standing across the desk from him was a bot Optimus had never seen before. He was predominately white, with a few racing lines in red, blue, and gray. Unlike the Magnus, or even Optimus himself, this bot was rather lanky, though he hardly looked weak or out of shape. From the way he stood and addressed the Autobot commander, Optimus got the feeling he wasn't a researcher or scientist, so that left him to assume he was a warrior of some sort. Although, Optimus frowned thoughtfully, he noticed that the new bot didn't have any of the insignia of the elite guard on him…

Behind the desk, Ultra Magnus looked up briefly to see who had come in before looking back at whatever was on his desk that he was going over with the new bot. Optimus hoped he had only imagined the annoyed set to the commander's optics.

"Optimus Prime," Ultra Magnus said, not looking up again, "I see you've finally found time to join us. At last."

Nope, he hadn't imagined it.

Optimus straightened and stared at the far wall. "My apologies Commander. I had to speak with Councilor Trion before I could return to service." He said without inflection.

The older bot rumbled unhappily, but didn't say anything else on the matter. Optimus felt stiff joints loosen slightly in relief when the commander silently motioned him forward instead.

He joined the two bots at the desk just as Ultra Magnus put away the records he and the new bot had been studying. Optimus didn't try to see what they were. He was a records bot, despite serving directly under Ultra Magnus. True, it hadn't exactly been his career of choice back at the Academy when he'd still had dreams of becoming a renowned field commander, but in the end, sitting behind a desk all orbit rather then being away for months at a time did ensure that he actually knew Leo rather then just hearing about him from Elita and their friends.

"Optimus Prime, meet Jazz, our new intelligence bot." Ultra Magnus was saying as he gestured to the lanky white bot. "He has just returned to Cybertron after completing his training under Master Yoketron."

Optimus couldn't quite keep the interest off of his faceplates as he looked at the new bot again. "A cyber ninja? What are you doing back on Cybertron? I thought cyber-ninjas were all about silence and solitary journeys and, ah," he hesitated, catching sight of the flat look Ultra Magnus had turned on him, "well, that sort of thing."

Optimus felt whatever confidence he'd woken up with that morning wither up under his commander's stoic look. It was only now, after he'd opened his fool mouth up, that Optimus remembered that before he'd become the Autobot commander, Ultra Magnus had trained under Master Yoketron as well.

Fortunately Jazz just laughed off the stereotypes. "Nah, I wasn't built for solitary anythin'. Give me a hoppin' planet over that whole 'vastness of space' junk any ol' orbit. Ya dig?"

Optimus blinked at the strange word formations. "Er, dig what?" He asked, confused.

Jazz snorted a laugh, but it was Ultra Magnus that addressed the young prime. "Jazz has already spent several stellar cycles traveling throughout the galaxy in order to complete his training. It's also where he picked up some rather…unusual habits."

Jazz shifted his weight and propped a servo on his hip. "He means my funky speech patterns. Heard it from some cool cats livin' off in Sector Seven. I'm tellin' ya, those cats knew how to groove!"

Optimus wasn't sure what that meant, but from the admiration in Jazz's voice, he thought this 'grooving' was a good thing.

"That's-" he started to say. Unfortunately that's as far as he got since he knew practically nothing about Sector Seven, much less what to say about its 'grooving' cat-like inhabitants. Running out of words – again – he cleared his vocal processor and turned back to his commander instead.

"You needed to see me sir?" He asked, straightening to attention.

Ultra Magnus gave a slight nod. "After the…tragedy on Archa-7," he spoke slowly on the matter, overlooking Optimus' withdrawal when he spoke of the failed mission to Archa-7, "I've decided that Jazz will take on Sentinel Prime's position. However, being so newly returned to the planet, I thought it prudent to make sure he had someone that could answer any questions he had."

Optimus blinked. "You want me to be his…tour guide?" He asked slowly. That was his new assignment? Really?

Ultra Magnus' leveled that same withering look on his subordinate. The effect of making Optimus feel like he was now three inches tall was instantaneous.

"Do you have a problem with that Optimus Prime?" The older bot asked stiffly.

Optimus straightened again. "No sir. I was just…making sure I understood your orders."

Ultra Magnus narrowed his optics at the younger bot. "Good." He said, aged voice low. "In that case you are dismissed. I want those reports from Rodimus' team on my desk in a mega-cycle." He snapped, returning to his usual brusque ways.

"Yessir!" Optimus said, snapping off a salute before turning around and briskly leaving the room.

He held in a groan of irritation when he noticed that Jazz followed him. Fortunately for Optimus' sanity though, he didn't say anything until the door had closed behind them.

"So I know it tanks and all bein' turned into a guide bot," he said as he followed Optimus into the smaller office area just outside of the commander's office, "but thanks anyway fer doin' it mech. I'm more lost when it comes to directions than an elephantech on an energon farm." He waited to see if the other bot would crack a smile, but when he didn't, Jazz added in a more serious tone, "So what do I call ya?"

Optimus' optics flicked up to the cyber-ninja as he took his seat behind the room's small desk. True, he hadn't heard a rank attached to the other bot's name, but as Ultra Magnus' new second it was undoubtedly higher then prime. Jazz could technically call him whatever the heck he wanted.

But somehow that didn't seem like a good answer. Somehow he felt like he was being asked some kind of trick question. "Prime is fine sir." He told him, thinking it was a safe answer.

Jazz screwed up his faceplates in distaste. "Yeah…" he drew the word out, "I don't do 'sir' OP. Just call me Jazz. And if you don't mind I'd rather call ya Optimus."

"If you want." Optimus agreed by default.

Jazz nodded. "Sweet." He said.

Thinking that was an end to the conversation, Optimus turned toward the monitor in front of him that let him view the data net. Rodimus should have sent in his reports by now-

It took him a moment to realize that Jazz was still standing there. Optimus was about to ask him what he wanted, but stopped when he saw the uncertain look on the other bot's face. He may not have known him long, but he hadn't pegged Jazz as 'unconfident'. In anything.

"Listen mech," Jazz finally said a moment later, looking at the floor as he did, "I heard that yer spark mate was part of the team ta Archa-7," he said slowly, "and ah'm, well ah'm sorry," he stopped, then added, "that she didn' make it back."

Optimus stared at the flooring beneath his stabilizing servos. A part of him wanted to tell this bot – stranger or not – that she had made it back. But then, another part of him wanted to agree with the bot standing next to him.

Optimus quickly shook his head. He couldn't think like that. Despite the changes caused by the organic venom, she was still his Elita. She hadn't…evaporated or anything when she'd changed. If anything he was grateful that she had come back, extra legs and all.

But he was still damning Archa-7 to the Pit as he answered the other bot.

"Thank you Jazz."

Optimus Prime didn't see much of Jazz the rest of the day. It seemed that while the city at large might confuse the new bot, he still knew his way around a command post. Which Optimus was immensely grateful for.

It wasn't that he disliked the bot. In fact he thought – under more normal circumstances – they probably would have made good friends. But these were not normal circumstances to say the least.

...

By the time his shift was over, even Optimus' circuits were tired. He just wanted to go home and get some rest.

"Maybe Ironhide and Chromia'll watch Leo for me for a little while," he thought as he slouched his way towards the main exit, "and I can get a nap in since this new bot isn't going to be as high maintenance as I first thought he would be-"

An unwelcome shout behind him cut his thoughts off.

"Hey OP! Wait up!"

The hall was practically empty at this time of orbit, so there was no mistaking the white and gray bot quickly making his way towards him.

Optimus stopped and sighed. "Or maybe I spoke too soon…" he added as he waited for Jazz.

When he finally joined Optimus standing in the middle of the hallway, the cyber-ninja gave him a subdued grin.

Optimus did not return the gesture. "Can I help you with something?" He asked, harsher then usual. Fatigue seemed to be grinding down on whatever patience he had left today.

Jazz must have had some gloom-proof armor because he didn't so much as flinch at Optimus' flat optics boring into him. "Yeah actually. What with U.M. saying yer the bot to ask about findin' stuff in this messed up city, I was kinda hopin' you could show me a way back to my pad that didn't involve me getting' lost for megacycles." He grinned wider as he flashed Optimus the address he'd stored away on his data pad.

Optimus frowned at the numbers indicating Jazz's living quarters. He knew the place well enough. He passed it every orbit on his way home.

He vented a harsh sigh, realizing he didn't have a good enough excuse to tell the new bot no.

"Fine," he grumbled instead, "but I've got to stop on the way to pick up my son."

Jazz raised his arms almost in a sign of surrender. "Sure thing mech, as long as I don't have to go on another joy ride 'round town on that public transit thing again it's all good t'me." His grin appeared again, eagerly jumping onto its usual place on Jazz's faceplates. "I don't know how y'all stand it. That thing's a menace ta society." He joked.

Optimus looked at him with no emotion. "It's one of the best public transit systems on the planet." He informed him dully.

Jazz shrugged. "Then I've been off world too long. The only public transit we had at Master Yoketron's was called walkin'." He laughed at his own joke.

Optimus didn't. Just turned around and started walking to the building's main doors. "Exit's this way. From there you just catch the north train towards the city's edge."

Jazz followed him. "If you say so mech."

Optimus couldn't keep in the tired sigh as he left the building, Jazz following cheerily right behind him.