A hidden femme's secret - Part Three
Wow, so the final chapter turned out SO long I had to split it into two part, because I honestly cannot expect you people to read through over 30 pages straight. Thank you everyone for following this story. I hope you'll enjoy the final conclusion. And already here BIG thank you for my betareader again because she sacrificed a LOT off her precious time just to help me get this ready for the challenge without my obvious mistakes. Therefor your enjoyment of a grammatical correct text goes to her!
Title: A hidden femme's secret
Subtitle: Daring Rescue
Part: 3/3
Author: Usagi-Atemu-Tom
Verse: TF-Bayverse
Anniversary Challenges: Week four prompt - # Dark of the night - turns up in part 3.5
Rating: NC 17
Genre: romance, drama
Warnings: slash, mentions of abuse and talk about rape
Pairings: Jazz/Prowl
Feedback: Please, yes, I love feedback! =^^=
Summary: Jazz decides to go back to where it all started one more time to rescue the femmes she has grown up with. But this time her journey will not be alone. Prowl is as faithful as ever, ready to stand by her side. And he is determined to prove to the special ops agent, that he will never intentionally break the trust she put in him.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine I don't make money with it and write only for fun and to get better in writing English. ^_^
Helpful Pointers:
Vorn - 83 years
Stellar-cycle - 7.5 months
Orn - 13 days
Joor - 8 hours
Breem - 6 minutes
Astrosecond - 5/6ths of a second
Klick - 1 millisecond
Please note that I've only ever watched the two movies from 2007 and 2009. While I've 'met' a lot of Transformers from the comics and cartoons, that more often than not show up in fanfics I, of course, have not seen them in action and therefore might not be able to interpret their characters right. I am using mostly what I've learned through the movie (and maybe fanfics) and while catching some ideas here and there I am mainly using my very own ideas for things like energon, space bridges and so on.And not to forget, much thanks to Taralynden for betareading.
"What do ya think, Prowler?" Jazz asked the tactician and turned her body around for assessment.
Prowl looked over the changed body of the saboteur, optics taking in every detail while the look on his faceplates showed how unsure he was.
"You do not have to do this personally, Jazz", the Autobot second in command reminded his lover, but the special ops agent simply shook her head, a look of determination on her faceplates.
"Ah have t'", she told the mech rather softly. "Not only for mah friends who need meh, but for mahself as well. Ah've gotta overcome th' pit spawns of th' past, or they'll haunt meh forever. Ah realised that Ah'm still more hurt than Ah expected by mah past when Ah revealed the truth t' ya. Besides, Ah think mah friends could use a familiar, rather friendly face, after they've had t' bear that pithole for such a long time more."
The femme moved over to Prowl, body totally different from what their friends knew as "Jazz". Instead of the silver colour that predominated with the Pontiac Solstice transformation, she now wore white armour with flecks of blue and red as well as a black helm and servos. Her body was still small, even a bit bulkier than before, but she was missing the spikes and claws she possessed before. As for the visor, she kept the one she gained the moment she became "Jazz"; after all, the target knew that she gave away her first visor anyway.
As addition, the saboteur also had a new voice. A bit higher, yet smoky. All in all her whole appearance screamed femme, rather than mech.
"Is this how you looked before?" Prowl wanted to know, not able to hold back his curiosity when it came to Jazz. The femme laughed, grinning at the tactician rather cheekily.
"Like what ya see?" she teased her lover. "Don't get used t' it, because Ah'm getting rid of these looks th' moment Ah'm done wit' th' job. Ah like mah Pontiac Solstice form. But t' answer yer question, yeah Ah looked similar t' that. Not exactly th' same, but enough that Ah'll be recognised by mecha who're looking for meh."
The femme made another turn around in front of the second in command, her hips swaying rather invitingly. Prowl, however, knew the saboteur was not serious, just teasing him, and shook his head in slight amusement.
"Jazz either you stop that or I won't be held responsible for my actions", he threatened half-sparkedly. Truth to be told, he was glad Jazz had returned fully back to her old self some time during their journey back to Cybertron. Of course he knew that there was still a lot of emotional pain left deep inside, but on the whole the third in command got a grip of herself and more often than not meant it when she joked around or laughed. Otherwise he would not have teased her right back with such intimate suggestions.
"Mmmmh, tempting, tempting", the special ops agent purred right now as an answer to the tactician's threat, her engine revving in honest interest. "Ah think Ah'll need t' get back t' ya on yer offer when we're done wit' th' mission an' back t' our nice, shared quarters, don't ya agree?"
Grinning at her lover one last time, Jazz finally became serious again.
"Did you finish the plan for of my mission?" she wanted to know. Prowl nodded, handing her the data pad he had been studying while waiting for the saboteur's session with Ratchet to finish.
"You can go through the details while I have a talk with Hound, if you don't mind", the tactician suggested and Jazz nodded her agreement.
"Take a moment an Ah'll be done wit' th' reading."
She watched Prowl leave from the corner of her optics before fully concentrating on the report for the mission. It had been, the femme reflected, a hectic stellar-cycle for the Autobots. After Jazz and Mirage were able to identify the meeting place the Breeders used for their clients - that interrogation session certainly went by quickly, the mech already terrified the moment he spotted Jazz - Optimus had contacted Megatron and informed the Lord High Protector of the presence of a Breeder group on Cybertron he just learned of. Afterwards the two leaders of each faction, together with their command teams, joined forces to plan how to overwhelm the criminals without endangering the prisoner femmes.
It was Jazz who came up with the suggestion of infiltrating as a disguised femme, though she did not reveal her true involvement into the whole matter to those not already in the know. Once inside she would find a way to either smuggle out the prisoners or at least keep them safe while the rest of the team attacked the Breeders.
For the rough plan it was decided that in addition to Prowl and Jazz for the planning and execution, Wheels as well as Mirage would go with them as helpers to the infiltration. For the attack force it was decided on Ironhide, Chromia, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe as well as Starscream and his trine mates Thundercracker and Skywarp for air support. Also Skywarp's ability to turn up at any place at any time was considered a great help in getting the femmes out of there safely.
The last group of mechs to join in were Hound and Bumblebee, both skilled scouts whose task was to investigate the area where they assumed the hiding place of the Breeders to be. This was a task already taken care of. By now Jazz's team had a vague idea where the hiding place of the Breeders seemed to be and Bumblebee was already out watching the area while Prowl had hold Hound back for reasons the saboteur had not been privy to. However, as soon as the scout was done with his talk with the tactician he was supposed to join Bee in watching and alerting the offensive group when it was time to attack.
During their journey to Cybertron and after their arrival, Prowl had updated their plan continuously, changing details with each new piece of information they received. In the end even Jazz did not know the whole plan, hence the reason she was sitting in front of the half finished, rebuild medbay, scanning through the contents.
As it turned out, the saboteur knew most of the plan, it was overall what they worked out before. However, to her great surprise one important point had changed and the Autobot third in command was not sure if she liked the idea at all.
When her sensitive hearings detected the opening of a door followed by the familiar noise of steps, she addressed the nearing mech without looking up.
"Ya wrote somethin' about meh havin' a bondmate. Ah'm not sure Ah like this, Prowler. After all, who should be mah supposed bonded? Mirage? Starscream?"
"I considered Skywarp", the tactician answered her sarcastic question as seriously as ever. "However I decided against it, because not only would you be forced to work with an unfamiliar mech but with a former Decepticon."
Hearing her lover's voice caused Jazz's head to snap upwards, her disbelieving gaze finding that of the second in command. It was not so much the contents of what she had been told, but the voice itself. While she was able to distinguish her Prowl still, the voice she heard was different, smoother than before.
And now that she took a look at the tactician, the saboteur wondered if something was deeply wrong with her sight and hearing because in front of her stood a femme-looking, femme-sounding Prowl.
"Prowler, wha..." she trailed off when the armour her lover was bearing, seemed to flicker.
"In the end", the mech continued, as if he had not noticed the shock he had caused in his lover, "I decided that the most effective option for the role of your bondmate would be me since you had stated you trust me and I know about your secret."
"Is that Hound's little playthin'", the femme asked suspiciously.
Prowl nodded with a smile.
"I asked him if I could use it for this mission and he said yes. Ratchet built it out and back into my frame as well as recalibrating my voice a bit to fit my appearance. It works flawlessly and I programmed the form of a femme not too unlike my true form but still hard to recognise for mecha who don't know me personally."
"Prowl", the saboteur sighed, "this is very kind of ya but Ah'm still not sure this is a good idea. The mission is dangerous as it is. Ah don't want t' risk ya endin' up in th' same pithole as Ah did, or worse."
"Jazz!" the second in command interrupted the femme with a surprisingly stubborn tone in his slightly different sounding voice. "I won't back out of this. You are not going through this alone, I won't let you. What I said to you before was the truth. Jazz, you mean the world to me and I don't care if you are a femme or not. All I care about is you, your character, you strength, the honesty, the trust you showed me. You took a choice here, decided to face your past to help your friends but this time it's all different, because I refuse to leave your side. I will be with you. I will support you, and if worse comes to worst, then I will watch your back, just as you have always watched mine."
"Prowler", the third in command murmured, touched and she allowed herself to lean against her beloved's body. "All right, Ah accept yer offer, since ya're so insistent. But ya need t' promise meh that ya'll be careful. If somethin' goes wrong, ya gotta listen t' meh because Ah'm the special ops agent wit' th' experience. Stay by mah side, listen t' meh an' even unexpected situations should go through smoothly."
"Understood", the tactician confirmed. "Though you should know that as an enforcer I did some undercover missions once or twice myself, meaning I am not inexperienced in that area. You don't have to worry too much about my performance, therefore."
She looked at Prowl, adoration shining in the optics hidden behind her visor. The femme grazed her gaze over the concealed body, considerately.
"So, how accurately does Hound's little toy work?" she asked rather curiously. "Ah was told he upgraded it, but haven't had a chance yet t' see for mahself."
"You can touch the fake armour", the tactician answered, taking one of her servos and guided it to do just that right against his breastplates. "Not too firmly, however, or the illusion will be revealed. It goes also deep right in to the spark."
And just to prove his point, Prowl opened his chestplates and showed her his spark, which was right now glowing a dark blue instead of the lighter one he was supposed to have.
Jazz however did not care one bit about the fact that the spark did not bear the right colour. With bated air vents she took in the sight of the offered spark itself, both servos raised, hovering right in front of the opened chamber.
"Prowler, yer spark", she whispered. "Ya just showed meh yer beautiful spark, ya crazy mech. An' Ah don't care if it's supposed t' be lighter. Doesn't change how beautiful it is."
"Thank you, Jazz", Prowl told her while calmly closing his sparkcase again. Only his shivering doorwings betraying the emotions of honour and pride he felt for her compliment as well as the slight urge of shyness for such an unusual gesture of himself.
"Are we ready to go act through the plan then?" The tactician asked, after they both recovered from their unexpectedly intimate moment. Jazz turned serious immediately and nodded her head.
"We're ready", she confirmed.
"Then let's begin with operation: 'Daring rescue'."
"Sparksong?"
Finally, after three orns of running through the city nearest to the area where they suspected the Breeders to have their base, Jazz was addressed by the very femme she had been hoping to meet. It was high time as well, because the final cycle of Scapeground's supposed return was coming nearer and nearer.
Plastering a look of surprise and wonderment on her faceplate, the special ops agent turned around to take a look at the speaker. Darkfin had not changed much since the time they had separated. Though looking closer, it seemed the femme was glowing from a fresh paint job including an expensive Cybertronian waxing session. She was a sleek femme coloured in a dark magenta with fine yellow stripes on her servos and back.
The saboteur allowed herself a moment where she pretended to consider who the other might be, even exchanging a questioning glance with Prowl who obediently shrugged his shoulderplates as if he was not sure who the other femme was. Finally a look of realisation played over the Autobot femme's faceplates and she broke out into a surprised smile.
"Darkfin? Is that really ya? Ah can't believe it, ya're still alive? Wow, that's gotta be some coincidence, don't ya agree, Grace'?"
"If you say so, Sparksong", the tactician replied politely while studying the femme in open interest himself.
"What are ya doin' here?" Jazz turned back to Darkfin, her voice excited. "Ah have t' admit it's good t' see ya, no matter how much Ah implanted ya femmes wit' th' fact that we're not supposed t' meet each other."
"I live here", the other femme answered, a big and, now that Jazz was looking closely, slightly greedy-looking smile playing around her lipplates. "And such a coincidence that ya're here, 'Song because, yes I know ya told us to never contact each other but... I met up with some of the other femmes as well. They are still nearby and after the war and all, I doubt the Breeders group that held us still exists, ya know. Would ya like to meet the others again and see how they fared?"
"Ya really met some of the others?" the saboteur asked in fake, excited disbelief. "An' yes, ya're right, now that we had t' suffer through this heavy war an' it's over now, Ah doubt anythin' bad could come out of a friendly visit wit' the other femmes. If we're lucky, those slaggers all died durin' th' fightin'."
She stopped talking when Prowl pretended to become impatient and gave a rather loud cough. The saboteur then looked like she was listening to something only she could hear before turning back to the curious Darkfin.
"Oh Ah'm sorry, where're mah manners? If Ah may introduce t' ya mah bonded? Her name is Gracelike."
"A pleasure to meet you", Prowl greeted the cunning femme, holding out his servos for introduction. "Designation, Gracelike."
"Oh, such a nice designation", the magenta coloured femme cooed. "My designation is Darkfin and I am an acquaintance from Sparksong's past."
Smiling at the nodding Prowl she looked back at Jazz with curious optics.
"Ya bonded, Sparksong?" Darkfin got into the topic, her voice excited. "Aww, you are so lucky, femme. So, how did that happen?"
"Met her during war", Jazz obediently told the curious femme. "Got on well t'gether, then fell in love, and in the end asked for a bond."
"Oh, that sounds romantic", Darkfin gushed, her smile wide and mostly friendly. She was interrupted in her exclamations by Prowl, however.
"Now that you've introduced us, Sparksong, what is this about meeting with other femmes?" Prowl wanted to know. "Do you wish to see them, because if you do, I'll need to make a quick call to Strike to let him know that we'll be coming later.
Darkfin looked at the two bots curiously.
"Are ya expected somewhere?" she wanted to know. "Because we could always meet again for another time. If ya are around here longer, that is."
Jazz quickly shook her head, smiling at the other femme, while waving a servo at Prowl carelessly.
"Nya, now's just fine", the saboteur told her. "We were only planning to see the apartment we were considering to buy. But that can certainly wait in face of the chance to meet some more of the girls again."
"Ya want to settle down here?" Darkfin asked, while she waited together with Jazz for Prowl to end the comm call. The Autobot femme nodded, smiling softly at her supposed bonded.
"Since Cybertron's still in th' middle of bein' built back t'gether, here's just as good as anywhere else", the saboteur explained. "Besides, mah bonded needs th' rest a stable home has t' offer. After all, she's expectin' a sparklin'."
At these words Prowl could not help but look at Jazz, surprised, optics glowing bright. However, the impromptu explanation was nothing the Autobot tactician could not handle.
"Sparksong", he chastised gently. "What did I tell you about telling strangers about this?"
Jazz grinned right back at the mech, faceplates unabashed.
"But Darkfin's no stranger. Ah know her from th' past, ya know, mah 'before'."
"Ah", the tactician acknowledged and nodded his head respectfully at the other femme. "So you have survived that. I am glad to see you fine and functioning then."
"Thank ya", she replied, pleased. "Well then, shall we go to my place? I can comm the others during our walk to meet us there."
"Sure", the saboteur said and took Prowl's servo in her own as they began to their journey, led by Darkfin. The femme used the time to comm her accomplices, not knowing that Jazz had no problems in intercepting her commline and listening in to her report of finding Sparksong as well as an expecting femme.
As anticipated, Darkfin received the order to lead them to the "usual spot" and that she would find drugged energon prepared for her use to knock the two femmes out.
Jazz did not need to know more. It was mostly as they had expected though the spiked energon was something concerning her. Using the fact that the traitorous femme was distracted with her own call, the third in command used a secured commline to alert Prowl.
~They wanna feed us spiked energon~, the saboteur quickly told him. ~Do ya know if Hound's toy will work even if ya in recharge or knocked offline?~
The tactician quickly searched through the information he had been given before he nodded slightly at her in confirmation.
~Hound's instructions say it is going to stay activated until being adjusted otherwise~, the second in command told the femme saboteur. ~You wish to for us to drink the energon even though you know the consequences?~
~Need t' make sure they don't suspect anythin'~, Jazz affirmed, her tone over the commline slightly sour. ~Ain't likin' this too much, but Ah know mah job, know when t' perform an' when t' play along. This time we've t' play along. At least til we're wit' th' prisoner femmes. Ah'm sorry, Prowler.~
~Acknowledged~, the tactician calmly replied. ~And don't be sorry, Jazz. This is our job right now, I am not unfamiliar with having to do some things I would rather not.~
~Thanks, Prowler~, the femme replied and quickly squeezed his servo. Then she made a short move with her head, indicating that Darkfin was about to complete her commcall and therefore they could no longer use their own comm. Prowl nodded back to her and looked straight ahead, just as if he was concentrating on the way they were going, while Jazz put her full attention to the other femme.
"What did they say?" the saboteur wanted to know, face eager. Darkfin looked a bit caught for an astrosecond but quickly pulled herself together and grinned openly at her fellow femme.
"I did not tell them", she told the other two. "I only mentioned that I am with someone I would really like to introduce. They told me they'll be there within the next three breems or so. Enough time for us to liven up to the happy occasion. I mean, honestly we need to celebrate this get-together, don't we?"
"Sure we do", Jazz agreed cheerfully and even Prowl managed a small, sincere looking smile. "So, how far away's yer livin' place?"
"Just around the corner", Darkfin answered, equally happy. The walk had not taken long, less than a breem even. The femme, as unsuspecting of her company's true intentions as she thought them to be of hers, led them to a nice looking apartment built right next to an old, half-destroyed factory. Not much was going on here. Most mecha were either at the nearest city, helping with the rebuilding or resting in their respective homes from the work they had done before.
The appartment did not look too threatening, not like some of the slums had looked like after Jazz successfully escaped from the Breeders. The femme led them to an apartment on the second floor. Inside it looked cosy. In fact the facility was certainly rather expensive, especially when one remembered how war-torn the planet still was.
Whistling slightly in fake appreciation, the saboteur allowed her gaze to sweep over the room.
"This looks really nice, Darkfin", she told her fellow femme. "A bit on the expensive side, but nice."
"Thank ya", Darkfin replied, glowing slightly. "I know, since the war just ended I should not live in such luxury, but I am working as a consultant and I need to give the right impression."
"Ah, that's okay, Ah guess", Jazz reassured her. "Say, what kind of consulting do ya do?"
"I'll tell ya after we sit down wit' something to drink, that all right?" the femme carefully eluded giving a direct answer, vanishing inside a room that the two Auotobots supposed was the energon preparation room. She quickly returned with three cubes of fine looking high grade in her servos, nodding her head over to the biggest room, which hold comfortable looking seats as well as a table and some technical toys.
"Shall we sit down?"
"That would be appreciated", Prowl answered to Jazz's secret surprise. "I am starting to feel a bit tired. I hope the high grade you are so kindly offering is mild one? I need to be careful with the spark I carry."
Realising what the tactician was up to, the third in command smiled at her fellow officer, satisfied. Prowl just proved that he certainly was no beginner in getting undercover. Even though the saboteur had improvised, the tactician knew about carrying femmes and that they usually felt a bit sour around their sparkcase while hosting the evolving spark.
It was also never a good idea to drink potent high grade, since the stronger form of energon was able to affect a spark. Nothing serious that a grown spark could not handle, but for a small sparkling high grade was just like too much air for a ballon. The little spark could simply burst.
"Oh no, I certainly remembered yer condition, Gracelike", Darkfin was quick to reassure. She hold out a cube with slightly lighter-looking energon.
"This is mild highgrade. Ya'll be willing to drink that one, yes?"
Accepting the cube, Prowl made sure to give the femme a small, sincere looking smile.
"This will do, thank you", he nodded his appreciation and took a place at the couch-like seat, signalling for Jazz to sit down beside him, while Darkfin took her place right opposite to the two mechs. She hold out one cube for the saboteur to take, before smiling at both of them encouragingly.
"Shall we drink, then talk about how we've fared all these orns until the others arrive?" she asked with a grin, and Prowl nodded while Jazz smiled right back. Raising her cube, she added a suggestion.
"Let's drink a toast to something while we wait for the others to arrive."
"Sure", Jazz agreed easily enough, holding out her cube of energon. "So, what are we toasting to?"
"How about a bright future of freedom?" Prowl suggested. The other two femmes agreed.
"To a bright future of freedom!" all three said aloud, raising their cubes. Jazz looked right at Prowl, smiling lovingly while taking one of his servos in her own, squeezing it. To Darkfin it must look like an affectionate couple of bonded femmes exchanging small gestures of love. In truth however, the tactician realised the very thing he had suspected from the beginning, which was one of his reasons to volunteer himself for the mission: As tough and unafraid as the saboteur acted, and the way he was used to acting during missions, this time the femme was deeply afraid of what would happen after they drank the spiked energon.
They had planned everything, carefully acting only after they made sure the plan was as fool-proof as it could be. However, both mecha had served in war long enough to know that sometimes even the most carefully constructed plan could be destroyed by a tiny, unforeseen event. Therefore, even though both officers were as hedged against risks as possible, a small uncertainty remained and for Jazz, who had gone through this pithole once, it was everything she could do, to stay calm and keep her act going. She only allowed herself to keep grounded by one thing. She squeezed the tactician's servos so much, that it felt like she was about to break each finger through strength alone.
Prowl however took the pressure without complaint. He did not pull a face, instead he looked calm and composed, sending a small smile right back at his supposed bondmate. The reassurance behind the hidden message helped greatly. Jazz calmed down a lot, releasing the pressure against her partner's servos and her smile widened a fraction.
Squeezing her servos slightly himself, Prowl took his first, careful drink of the energon, his optics never leaving the visor of his lover. Jazz took the hint, squeezed quickly back and then emptied the cube in one quick gulp.
The whole exchange happened in astroseconds, therefore Darkfin of course had not noticed anything. She smiled slightly to herself after both bots emptied their drinks.
"Nice high grade", Jazz complimented the femme in a good mood. "Where did ya get it? Jeez, Ah'll already feel fuzzy from it an' Ah only took one little shot."
"That might be 'cause you had t' gulp down the whole thin' at once", Prowl chastised his partner, his voice already slurring himself and both bots could feel their processors slowing down, their world starting to spin.
The saboteur was the first to act like she realised something was wrong.
"Feel too fuzzy", she murmured, her head moving slowly to look at Darkfin suspiciously. "Wha's goin' on?"
Prowl, who was not able to tolerate tampered energon or high grade as well as Jazz, with her special ops modifications, slumped against the femme, already deep in recharge. The saboteur could feel herself losing control of her own body as it slowly sank against her supposed bondmate's. The last thing she saw was Darkfin looking at her in fake regret.
"I'm so sorry, Sparksong", the femme crooned. Then darkness claimed the saboteur's body.
When Jazz came to again, her optics, hidden behind her visor, onlined to a dark, cold room. For a klick she felt disorientated enough that she wanted to panic. However thanks to her special programming her processor was fast at fighting off the remaining effects of the tampered energon that she had been forced to drink and she remembered her role.
Where others would stay sluggish and disorientated for quite some time, her processor had already returned to its usual sharpness and memory files played inside her mind, reminding her exactly what happened and how she was supposed to act. Groaning far louder than she ever would have done as Jazz, she moved her head furiously, gaze sweeping the room, when she failed to get up after the third futile attempt.
"'Grace?" she fearfully called out to the darkness, the tone only half an act. Even though the special ops agent was confident she could pull through alone, with all those past memories, she would be happier if she and Prowl had not been separated for this task.
After her sixth call a groan near her right answered, much to her delight. Unable to get up, the femme dragged her body along the ground, half crawling, half shuffling, until she could feel herself touch the other's body in the darkness.
Two familiar blue orbs onlined exactly that moment and Jazz instinctively pulled a servo against the tactician, restraining him from talking while whispering urgently.
"Give herself a moment t' order yer processor", she instructed the second in command calmly. "Ya still feelin' a bit strange, try t' sort through yer memory files before ya ask anythin' ya might be able t' answer just as well if ya only waited a bit longer."
The slight movement of the glowing optics indicated to the femme that Prowl nodded before silence descended over the room. Jazz cuddled closer to the tactician, seeking and needing the comfort and assurance she knew her friend and lover had to offer.
Finally, while tightening his arms around her body, the second in command raised his voice falling right into his role.
"I am all right, Sparksong", he truthfully assured the saboteur. "What happened?"
"Ah don't know", the femme whispered, voice sounding scared. "But Ah think someone spiked our high grade."
"Why would someone do that?" the mech replied, confused though calm. It was in that moment, that a door, which they had not been able to see before, opened silently. Jazz and Prowl only heard it, because both of them had their sensitivity about noises, something very helpful for a soldier but not exactly usual for an average mech, hiding during a civil war.
Which was the main reason why the Autobot second and third in command pretended to not have noticed the slight movement of the door at all.
"Where is your friend, Darkfin?" the tactician wondered, voice worried. "Is she in the room with us?"
"Ah've no idea", Jazz sighed. "Ah was only able t' feel yer spark close, though didn't make findin' ya much easier wit' th' darkness an' all."
As if on cue light suddenly flooded the room. Blinking and recalibrating their optics to the sudden change in light, the two bots realised that they had been held in a small office, which seemed part of an old factory, if the half destroyed ceilings and walls were anything to go by.
The next thing they noticed was Darkfin, who came towards them, arms open and face slightly sad and guilty.
"Sparksong! Gracelike! I am so sorry", the femme cried, looking devastated as she threw herself into her fellow femmes arms. "Ah had no choice. They told meh that if Ah did not listen to their orders, they would hurt the other femmes."
"They?" Sparksong rose, alarmed but she was interrupted by a new, though familiar voice addressing her.
"Good cycle, Sparksong", a mech twice Jazz's height with a red-silver colouring purred at the femme. "It's so nice to be back in ye pleasant company after all these orns. I have to admit, we missed ye very much."
The saboteur whirled around, pushing the femme in her arms away as her shocked and angered faceplates met the smirking gaze of the through and through smug looking mech.
"Fender!" she shouted, barely able to conceal her fear. "Ya piece of slagging scrap metal. How'd ya survive th' war?"
"Awww, such concern", the mech mocked the femme, pretending to be hurt while pointing a weapon straight at her. "And here I thought ye would be happy at the chance of seeing ye dear friends again. Look at Darkfin for example. The poor dear has missed ye so much. Oh and don't even think about attacking me, or ye little bondmate over there'll pay the price."
Jazz moved her gaze from the weapon now pointed at her supposed bondmate, over to the other femme, who was pretending to sob heartily into her servos. However, instead of looking resigned or willing to comfort, the saboteur's faceplates scrunched into a cold mask of indifference.
"Don't take meh for stupid", the Autobot femme quietly exclaimed, moving over to Prowl and pulling him into her arms as if trying to protect the tactician from the evil that were the Breeders. "Ya weren't forced, Darkfin. Ya traitor, how could ya do that t' meh, t' US?"
"What are ya talking about?" the femme asked, her sobs diminishing, voice hurt and confused.
"Don't ya dare think Ah'd ever forget about mah cycles in yer custody, ya slaggers. Ya look too good for one captured by a Breeder. Yer paint's spotless, far above what we had t' look like when serving customers. An' th' polish is shiny an' smells nice. In fact Ah recognise it. That's Flaxlight, the finest polish Cybertron had t' offer right after th' war. Very expensive, certainly nothin' one of these aftheads would care t' pay for if ya were a little femme held prisoner."
Jazz stopped a moment to glare heatedly at the other femme, whose faceplate was slowly morphing from sad and hurt into a cold, dismissive sneer.
"So tell meh, was th' meetin' other femmes even true? Ah bet ya didn't find any of them after our escape. After all, Ah told each of ya back then, t' split an' avoid to contact each other."
At these words, Fender and Darkfin started to laugh loud and mockingly.
"Oh ya stupid femme?" Darkfin glowered. "We knew that ya would try to break out all of th' miscreants, devoted followers that they were to ya. That's the very reason I was smuggled into ya crowd. Originally I was supposed to destroy every plan ya came up with. But we soon realised ya were cleverer than we gave ya credit for. Therefore we decided the best way was to get them all back just after they broke out, before ya split."
"Impossible", the saboteur breathed disbelief thick within her voice. "While Ah certainly believe yer reason of spying out our group, Ah made sure that every of th' femmes knew how important it was t' split."
"Oh but while none of ya ever trust a mech, ya forgot how very trusting th' other, processorless little things are about femmes. So very trusting. It was quite easy, really. I suggested before we could split, if it wouldn't be better to stick together, gain strength in numbers. I told them to stay in a certain place and wait til I found ya. And just like that we all had them back again."
The femme grinned cruelly at the two Autobots, while Jazz cried out in denial.
"And do ya know what's best? Ya helped me find a way to restrain the little bitlets. They've been good little femmes all these vorns, because they feared we might hurt YA. Remember the visor ya left me as I requested? I only had to show them that little present as proof that we had ya in custody again, held isolated, so ya would not spread funny ideas into their processors again and they did everything we wanted them to, begging even to please, please not hurt ya."
"Ya fragger!" Jazz roared, this time with real anger. She just could not help herself, as much as her special ops training taught her differently. The saboteur had known of the betrayal, yes, and she prepared herself for all the nastiness she would receive during her mission. But to hear Darkfin, a femme just like herself, speak in that dismissive and mocking tone about the fate of their fellow femmes, it angered the special ops agent more than she had anticipated.
The Autobot third in command was about to attack the other femme, Fender and his weapon be dammed, but the sudden, heavy servo on her shoulder held her back.
"'Song?" the Autobot femme heard Prowl whisper fearfully and she whirled around. Faceplates scrunched up in open fear, the tactician was the utter picture of uneasiness and being subdued. However one look at his optics and Jazz knew the truth. Steady glow met her gaze, telling one message: Stay calm!
Slumping against her lover's body in defeat the saboteur could at least watch from the corner of her optics how Darkfin lost the tense, fearful stance she had taken on just klicks before. She certainly just realised that she should be afraid of her and this small knowledge would satisfy her hungry anger for now.
Fender, realising the current defeat, used this chance to get back to business.
"Darkfin, did you check their stories while they were out?"
Getting herself back together, the traitors femme returned attention to the Breeder, though one optic kept the saboteur at sight all time.
"Yes, I did the usual", she answered, all business and with cold calculation. "Song has been hiding during war, came out just after the peace pronouncement reached Cybertron. Works for a construction group that helps rebuilding Cybertron, though tries to keep a low profile.
"Gracelike had been part of a Neutral group during the war, helping organise the hiding places and reinforcement of supplies. Now that the war is over she's part of the staff that plans the rebuilding and she as a stand-in advisor. Honestly, all boring stuff. She lives by the book, arriving early at her working place, leaving last, nothing exciting. Oh and of course I checked both of them over. Sparks are clear and Boring over there is definitely carrying. The spark is still in the middle of development, but certainly healthy. They told the truth."
Jazz, after hearing the first words about Darkfin checking their sparks over, had to suppress the urge to flinch, but when she heard about Prowl's spark indeed containing a small sparkling's spark, she immediately had a hard time not to show her surprise instead.
Prowl of course knew exactly what was going through her processor and he showed the femme one of his rare, superior looking smirks. The saboteur knew what this look meant. Prowl had adjusted right after the change of plans with her mentioning the sparking and altered the commands for Hound's toy to not only portray a femme spark, but second spark as well. Never before had Jazz been as thankful as she was now that she had insisted and drilled Prowl just as much for spontaneity as the tactician had insisted with her that she follow a plan through without sudden, unexpected extra moves.
"Good, so they are clear to be taken in and no one will really notice", Fender concluded after hearing Darkfin's report, voice satisfied. "Scapeground will be rather please to hear this, when he returns."
"Scapeground?" Jazz barked at hearing that name. "That afthead is alive as well? Ya slaggers, ya'll regret survivin' th' war soon enough."
"Oh please, dear Sparksong", the current leader of the Breeder dismissed her threats. "As if ye could ever do anything stuck as ye are right now. Remember, every stupidity ye do, ye bonded will learn to regret. And to answer ye question, yes Scapeground is very much alive. In fact ye'll love to hear this, he is right now on Earth, overseeing the bonding ceremony between Softglow and one of our newest customers. Ye'll be happy to hear ye femme friend is the first to be bonded."
Growling, but otherwise forced to stay put given that Fender was once again pointing his weapon at Prowl, Jazz had to watch helplessly as the two Breeders laughed at her expense.
"Well, since we are done with the pleasantries", the Breeder addressed Darkfin, his voice businesslike again. "Darkfin, please make sure that everything is in order and secured. After you are done take some of the mechs and escort our new guests to their respective cells."
"Of course, boss", the femme acknowledged before smirking in the direction of the two Autobots.
"See ya later, bitbrains", she singsonged before getting out of the door.
"Ye excuse me, I have business to take care of", Fender also retreated, his voice once again mocking. "But don't mind the short waiting and please enjoy ye stay."
Laughing he stepped out of the door, closing it soundly behind him. The moment the noise died down, darkness enveloped the room once more. Prowl and Jazz however did even twitch. They sat where they had been left, listening with their special senses, while Jazz also checked the room for bugs and hidden cameras. Finding the usual and knowing how to avoid them, even with her most obvious programs being offlined, the femme leaned against the tactician, letting out a too low sigh for the microphones to record.
"Sorry for th' outburst," the saboteur whispered in tones so soft that they could not be heard with audials, relying on Prowl's sensitive doorwings to pick up the faint vibrations and interpret them.
"Don't be", the second in command murmured against her sensor horns. "You are one of the most controlled Autobot soldiers I know. If you lost your cool, you had good reasons to."
"Not good enough, Ah fear, just anger an' bitterness about th' past", Jazz admitted before letting out another sigh through her air vents again. Anyway, th' plan mostly stands. Any questions though?"
"Yes, the sparkling", Prowl replied in a whisper, straight to the point. "Should I maintain the illusion?"
"Ah yes", the femme nodded, smiling slightly which Prowl however could not see in the darkness. "When we met Darkfin Ah suddenly remembered that th' Breeders used t' throw a new femme straight into business, so t' say. If they already collected regular customers willin' for fresh energon, chances are, ya woulda been given t' them immediately. We can't risk that, not wit' th' kind of plan we have. Ah sparklin' however, changes th' situation. Sparksharin' wit' anyone but th' creator is dangerous for th' undeveloped spark. Besides, why send a femme already wit' a sparklin' sharin' if th' sparklin' is th' goal? You'll be safe until extraction, which of course is set for long after we'll be through wit' them."
Nodding in understanding, a movement Jazz was able to feel because the tactician had rested his head right on hers, Prowl added one more question.
"And what about you?"
Here the special ops agent could not help but chuckle.
"Noticed how afraid Darkfin has been most durin' our little discussion?" the saboteur voiced his question no louder than a breeze.
"Of course it was impossible not to", the second in command replied.
"For ya maybe, but amateurs might not have noticed her fear", the femme corrected before she continued. "Anyway, Fender and Darkfin know how dangerous Ah'm. They need time t' calm meh, t' tame meh, therefore they cannot rush things wit' meh. It's all th' time we need t' get th' femmes out there."
"Understood", Prowl acknowledged quickly, because both bots could sense a number of mecha arriving at their current prison. It did not take long for a number of beings to enter and when the lights came back on, five mech Breeders surrounded the two prisoners, while Darkfin stood at the door, looking uncomfortable and impatient.
"All right, let's get this over with. Sparksong. Gracelike. Follow me quietly or ya regret it!"
She turned around and the two bots had no other choice but to follow, surrounded and threatened with the loaded weapons of their warden as they were. The walk did not take long and soon the group stopped in front of a metallic looking door that seemed to hold a boiler room of the factory.
"Sparksong, in there if you please!" the other femme mocked-ordered, which earned her a growl from the saboteur, though nothing more. The door opened, which caused an ear splitting howl to be heard all over the place before with a snarl the Breeder femme seemed to take care of the problem with a silent command.
Taking one reluctant step forward, Jazz realised that Prowl was not following. Turning around rather sharply, the Autobot femme noticed that three of the Breeder were holding the tactician in a tight grip, which the Autobot barely tolerated with an unreadable look on his faceplates.
"What about Gracelike?" the saboteur demanded to know. It earned her a snort from the other femme.
"She's certainly not staying with ya!" Darkfin simply answered, voice cold.
"No, Gracelike! Grace!" Jazz started to struggle against her captors, who reacted by pushing her with force in the direction of the open door. "Ah'm not goin' wit'out her! Leave meh alone ya fraggers! Grace!"
And through the act of panic and defiance true fear glowed inside her optics, hidden by her visor. However, when she looked at Prowl she realised immediately that he had been able to read her true emotions behind the mask like a book. Because, just as he was able to read her, she was able to read him perfectly and right now, while his body showed barely suppressed panic and fear, his optics, bright and dark in colour, reflected serenity, telling the nearly panicking femme one thing: Calm!
Giving in, Jazz allowed the mechs to shove her through the door which immediately fell shut. Screaming one more time for her supposed bonded, Jazz sunk down in defeat against the wall right under a small, ventilation opening. Too bad the thing was too small for her to get through.
Acting like her emotions had taken complete control over her, she did not acknowledge the femmes her sharp ops senses already noticed even before she had been shoved over the step. Her head only snapped into the direction of the huddled group of femmes when she heard a voice disrupting the silence of her fake sobs.
"Sparksong?"
tbc...