Decent Recharge: Chapter 5: Jazz
Notes: Inspired by a comment made by Alana-kittychan on fanfic.net.
Chapter 5: Jazz
Prowl was on the prowl. Anyone who looked his way could see it in the way he was stalking down the halls. He didn’t look angry, so they knew this wasn’t a kill-capture-destroy mission on, say, the Twins for a prank, but he did look very intimidating and determined.
He made a circuit of the Arc once, twice. Mechs watched him pass with some amusement. The longer his search lasted, the more aggravated he seemed to get, until at last, Ratchet stopped him in the hall near the Rec Room.
“Prowl. What’s the deal? You look like your processor is about to glitch.”
“I am looking for Jazz.”
Ratchet tilted his helm slightly. “Hm. I saw him a couple hours ago when he came in for a check-in. He said something about going to see Prime when I was done.”
Prowl blinked once, flicked his doorwings once, and nodded. “That would explain why he did not answer his comm. Thank you, Ratchet.” One more doorwing flick, and the tactician turned on his heel and strode toward the Command Hall, accessing his comm link as he went, this time sending a short line of text to be read whenever the receiver's comm link was checked.
Jazz, when you get this, comm me.
::Hey, Prowler!:: came a few seconds later. ::Jus’ about t’ comm ya. Sorry Ah missed ya earlier, Ah was in th’ middle of a very in-depth discussion ‘bout mah last mission.::
::I assumed. What is your current location?::
::Almost t’ our quarters. Thinkin’ ‘bout takin’ a nap. Still ain’t fully recovered.::
Prowl knew that - his bondmate had only returned to the Arc three nights ago, and the mission he had been on had been a long one that hadn’t ended well. Jazz’s black and white plating was still mottled with silvery weld marks. That had, really, been the source of his worry over not finding the saboteur.
::I know. I’ll meet you there in a half-breem.::
::Love ya.::
::Love you too.::
A moment later, Prowl opened the door to his quarters and walked in to find Jazz just sitting down on the edge of their berth.
“Care t’ join me?” the saboteur asked cheerfully, though tiredly.
“How about you join me?”
“Hm?”
“Come on, Jazz,” the tactician said softly, and reached a hand out. Jazz took it without question and stood, slowly, achingly. Prowl smiled and wrapped his arm around his bondmate’s shoulders, holding some of his weight. After a moment to enjoy just standing together, Prowl nudged Jazz toward the door.
“Where’re we goin’?”
“You’ll see.”
“Ah, a surprise? Fer me?”
Prowl chuckled slightly. “Yes. Now come.”
They ambled out of the room and down the halls, passing few mechs. Those they did gave the couple fond looks. Eventually, they made their way out of the Arc and into the slowly fading light of an Earthen sunset.
“Wow,” Jazz said quietly.
“Indeed.”
No mech had quite accustomed themselves to the vivid reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, purples, and blues of which the sky of this world was capable. There had been clouds on Cybertron, and the sunsets were beautiful, but the atmosphere was much thinner, and didn’t refract the light in quite the same manner. While Cybertron’s sunsets were stark, sharp, with bright but not vivid colors, Earth’s sunsets were brilliant, as though someone had gotten into the massive paint stocks of the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies combined and thrown them all in the air.
“Well, certainly a nice surprise,” Jazz said as the last traces of purple colored the sky.
“This... actually wasn’t the surprise. Just a fortunate accident. The surprise is this way.”
“Oh. Alright,” the saboteur said with a tired but still happy smile.
Prowl began to lead the way around the edge of the mountain. A few hundred feet later, he turned and they began to climb. It was a narrow trail, but it seemed well traveled. There were no loose stones in the way, and where the route got too steep, it wound around and doubled back, making it an easy walk on the tired mechs.
Then, suddenly, Prowl stopped. “Here.”
“What’s here?”
“The surprise.”
Jazz looked around. All he could see was the path continuing on in front of them, and a small branch leading off to the side. “Well, gotta admit Ah don’t see it yet.”
Prowl just smiled, took his bondmate’s hand again, and led him down the smaller trail, the branch to the right. It went straight about ten feet, then turned sharply. As they turned the corner, a crevice in the rock became visible. Prowl led them inside, doorwings almost scraping the narrow entrance.
Once past the entrance, they paused to let their optics adjust to the gloom. Prowl stepped aside and let the saboteur observe.
The cavern was small, oval in shape, just tall enough at its peak for Optimus Prime to stand at full height, with sloping sides. Its floor was smooth and sloped, like a giant bowl. In the bottom of the bowl was a nest. Thick blankets laid out, piles of pillows, heating pads and cooling blankets tucked against the side to be pulled closer should the want arise. Off to one side, a small crate lay open, revealing its contents of goodies and energon.
“This, Jazz, is the surprise.”
“Uh...”
“We can both recharge here. It isn’t a berth, I’ve already slept here a couple of times and found it very comfortable, but it’s large enough that we should both be able to recharge easily. I’ve installed a holo-projector at the entrance, as well as a proximity sensor, so should anyone try to get in, we’ll be awoken and alerted.”
“Prowler, this ‘s awesome.”
“You think so?”
“Of course! Looks more comfy than our berth, that’s for sure.”
Prowl beamed, and Jazz, knowing he was one of the very few to have ever seen that expression, grinned back.
“Let’s go t’ recharge, lover. Ya need it, an’ Primus knows Ah need it.”
“Indeed,” Prowl rumbled as he stepped forward into the nest and lay down. Jazz followed him, crawling into his arms, engine rumbling happily.
Chapter 5: Jazz
Prowl was on the prowl. Anyone who looked his way could see it in the way he was stalking down the halls. He didn’t look angry, so they knew this wasn’t a kill-capture-destroy mission on, say, the Twins for a prank, but he did look very intimidating and determined.
He made a circuit of the Arc once, twice. Mechs watched him pass with some amusement. The longer his search lasted, the more aggravated he seemed to get, until at last, Ratchet stopped him in the hall near the Rec Room.
“Prowl. What’s the deal? You look like your processor is about to glitch.”
“I am looking for Jazz.”
Ratchet tilted his helm slightly. “Hm. I saw him a couple hours ago when he came in for a check-in. He said something about going to see Prime when I was done.”
Prowl blinked once, flicked his doorwings once, and nodded. “That would explain why he did not answer his comm. Thank you, Ratchet.” One more doorwing flick, and the tactician turned on his heel and strode toward the Command Hall, accessing his comm link as he went, this time sending a short line of text to be read whenever the receiver's comm link was checked.
Jazz, when you get this, comm me.
::Hey, Prowler!:: came a few seconds later. ::Jus’ about t’ comm ya. Sorry Ah missed ya earlier, Ah was in th’ middle of a very in-depth discussion ‘bout mah last mission.::
::I assumed. What is your current location?::
::Almost t’ our quarters. Thinkin’ ‘bout takin’ a nap. Still ain’t fully recovered.::
Prowl knew that - his bondmate had only returned to the Arc three nights ago, and the mission he had been on had been a long one that hadn’t ended well. Jazz’s black and white plating was still mottled with silvery weld marks. That had, really, been the source of his worry over not finding the saboteur.
::I know. I’ll meet you there in a half-breem.::
::Love ya.::
::Love you too.::
A moment later, Prowl opened the door to his quarters and walked in to find Jazz just sitting down on the edge of their berth.
“Care t’ join me?” the saboteur asked cheerfully, though tiredly.
“How about you join me?”
“Hm?”
“Come on, Jazz,” the tactician said softly, and reached a hand out. Jazz took it without question and stood, slowly, achingly. Prowl smiled and wrapped his arm around his bondmate’s shoulders, holding some of his weight. After a moment to enjoy just standing together, Prowl nudged Jazz toward the door.
“Where’re we goin’?”
“You’ll see.”
“Ah, a surprise? Fer me?”
Prowl chuckled slightly. “Yes. Now come.”
They ambled out of the room and down the halls, passing few mechs. Those they did gave the couple fond looks. Eventually, they made their way out of the Arc and into the slowly fading light of an Earthen sunset.
“Wow,” Jazz said quietly.
“Indeed.”
No mech had quite accustomed themselves to the vivid reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, purples, and blues of which the sky of this world was capable. There had been clouds on Cybertron, and the sunsets were beautiful, but the atmosphere was much thinner, and didn’t refract the light in quite the same manner. While Cybertron’s sunsets were stark, sharp, with bright but not vivid colors, Earth’s sunsets were brilliant, as though someone had gotten into the massive paint stocks of the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies combined and thrown them all in the air.
“Well, certainly a nice surprise,” Jazz said as the last traces of purple colored the sky.
“This... actually wasn’t the surprise. Just a fortunate accident. The surprise is this way.”
“Oh. Alright,” the saboteur said with a tired but still happy smile.
Prowl began to lead the way around the edge of the mountain. A few hundred feet later, he turned and they began to climb. It was a narrow trail, but it seemed well traveled. There were no loose stones in the way, and where the route got too steep, it wound around and doubled back, making it an easy walk on the tired mechs.
Then, suddenly, Prowl stopped. “Here.”
“What’s here?”
“The surprise.”
Jazz looked around. All he could see was the path continuing on in front of them, and a small branch leading off to the side. “Well, gotta admit Ah don’t see it yet.”
Prowl just smiled, took his bondmate’s hand again, and led him down the smaller trail, the branch to the right. It went straight about ten feet, then turned sharply. As they turned the corner, a crevice in the rock became visible. Prowl led them inside, doorwings almost scraping the narrow entrance.
Once past the entrance, they paused to let their optics adjust to the gloom. Prowl stepped aside and let the saboteur observe.
The cavern was small, oval in shape, just tall enough at its peak for Optimus Prime to stand at full height, with sloping sides. Its floor was smooth and sloped, like a giant bowl. In the bottom of the bowl was a nest. Thick blankets laid out, piles of pillows, heating pads and cooling blankets tucked against the side to be pulled closer should the want arise. Off to one side, a small crate lay open, revealing its contents of goodies and energon.
“This, Jazz, is the surprise.”
“Uh...”
“We can both recharge here. It isn’t a berth, I’ve already slept here a couple of times and found it very comfortable, but it’s large enough that we should both be able to recharge easily. I’ve installed a holo-projector at the entrance, as well as a proximity sensor, so should anyone try to get in, we’ll be awoken and alerted.”
“Prowler, this ‘s awesome.”
“You think so?”
“Of course! Looks more comfy than our berth, that’s for sure.”
Prowl beamed, and Jazz, knowing he was one of the very few to have ever seen that expression, grinned back.
“Let’s go t’ recharge, lover. Ya need it, an’ Primus knows Ah need it.”
“Indeed,” Prowl rumbled as he stepped forward into the nest and lay down. Jazz followed him, crawling into his arms, engine rumbling happily.