Black and White

Jazz laughed. "Tha's fine by meh. Maybe it'll take Ratch's mind offa th' fact he's mad at meh."

Ratchet walked into the room and his gaze zeroed in on Jazz. "About time you got here."

"Hiya, Ratch." Jazz gave him a little finger wave.

Ratchet grabbed a few tools and stomped over to him. "I told you to come straight here after your mission!"

"Ah jus' got back! Ah had ta grab a cube of energon and look a few reports over!"

"Excuses, excuses." Ratchet said, running the scanner over Jazz's head.

"Man. . .Ah c'n never win with ya, c'n I?"

"Nope. Never."

"Aw, why?"

"Because, you - "

Whatever Ratchet was about to say was cut off by Beachcomber screaming from down the hall. Prowl's hysterical laughter followed. Ratchet poked his head out the door to take a look. He sighed.

"I swear, whoever came up with the idea that Prowl is a stick never saw him hang around with the Twins."

Jazz, for his part, just doubled over in laughter. "Is it that funny?"

"Funnier than you think."

"Awesome!"

"Does that mean Ah'm cut loose?"

"I doubt it."

"Man. . ." Jazz shifted in his seat, and Ratchet turned, pinning him with his stare.

"Stay. There."

"But Ratch, Ah gotta go help Prowler plan our misssion! Ah'm kinda important, ya know." Jazz pointed out.

"Prowl can, and will, wait until I clear you." Ratchet said, handing Beachcomber off to First Aid.

Jazz winced when he heard Ratchet pull First Aid aside and tell him not to use anesthetic on Beachcomber. "Man, it sucks to be Comber, tha's fer sure."

Prowl laughed. "Do I even want to know?"

"Ratch ain't lettin' Aid numb 'im up."

Prowl just laughed again. Optimus poked his head into med bay. "Is there a particular reason my SIC is laughing like a banshee?" he asked. Jazz just pointed at Beachcomber. Optimus nodded. "Oh. Okay, that explains it." With that he continued down the hall.

"I love how these random outbursts no longer faze him." Aid commented. "When he first became Prime, I thought he was going to blow a gasket trying to keep up with everyone."

"I think he just blew a circuit and decided it didn't matter anymore." Ratchet muttered. "Teach you to screw with the Twins, won't it, Comber?"

"But it was Prowl! He asked me for help! The SIC shouldn't be allowed to prank people!"

"Something tells me I'm missing the show." Prowl said.

Jazz grinned. "I'll show ya the footage in a bit."

"Good. Now hurry up with your check-up so we can get this show on the road."

"Hey, it all depends on Ratch. An' he ain't too happy wit meh." Jazz laughed. "So, yer gonna hafta hold yer horses."

Ratchet painfully pulled a misplaced wire back where it belonged, Jazz yelping in pain. "OW!"

"If you'd come to see me about this sooner, it wouldn't have hurt so bad."

"It didn't until ya started messin' with it!" Jazz grumbled, rubbing the back of his shoulder and giving Ratchet a sour look.

"You're done. Get out of here and don't get hurt." Ratchet shooed him out of the medbay.

"Yer brother's a sadist, Prowler."

"We knew this when he bonded Wheeljack." comes the dry reply.

((Le shitty post is up! *grimaces*))

Jazz walked into Prowl's office, still rubbing his aching shoulder. Prowl looked up an rose an optical ridge. "Issues?"

"Yeah. Yer brother." Jazz rolled his shoulder, sighing when the joint popped. "Tha's better." He flopped down into one of the chairs across from Prowl's desk and pushed it back onto the back legs. "We waitin' fer 'Raj?"

"Yes. But I can give you what I've already got. It's going to take you and Bee to get in. As indicated earlier, Mirage will be with me outside the Decepticon base."

Jazz held a hand up. "Hold on - lemme get Bee in here. If he's goin', he needs ta hear this too." Prowl nodded as Jazz opened a comm. line. "Bee? Ya need ta meet meh and 'Raj in Prowler's office."

"Okay. Is everything all right?"

"Yup. We got a mission."

"Okay, I'll be right there." Bee said cheerfully, cutting the transmission. Jazz shot Prowl a grin. "Now we wait for both 'Raj and Bee."

Prowl nods. "That won't take very long."

Jazz laughs. "Nah. But Raj is gonna try ta sneak in on ya."

"He can try." Prowl says with a smirk. "He hasn't snuck up on me yet."

Bee grinned as he walked in, Mirage behind him. "It's because of the doorwings, isn't it? It's okay, you can admit it."

Prowl grinned back. "Nope. I keep my secrets to myself."

Jazz laughed. "It's th' doorwings."

Said doorwings flicked as Prowl gestured for Mirage and Bee to sit down. "As I was telling Jazz, Mirage, you'll be outside the Decepticon base with me as Jazz and Bee infiltrate the Nemesis. We received a report that the 'Cons are building a new kind of weapon. We don't have any specs, and no idea what kind of weapon it is. Bee, you and Jazz are going to get in, find the nearest computer terminal, hack it, and download every scrap of data you can."

Jazz gave Prowl a faintly skeptical look. "Everythin'? Prowler, that's a lot of data to crawl through. We're talkin' rotations, duty rosters, th' whole nine yards."

Prowl nodded. "I know. That's why I'm sending you in with Bee. Next to you, he's the best hacker we've got. We're sending you two in with individual data chips you can download the information onto."

Bee and Jazz looked at each other and grinned widely. Prowl caught the grin. "And no, we're not blowing them up."

"Why not?" Bee pouted. "You know how awesome that would be?"

Mirage sighed. "Prowl, we have a mini Jazz running around. Primus save us all."

((behold le shitty post!))

Jazz gave Mirage and Prowl an easy grin. "Ya'll say that like it's a bad thing."

"Well, when the data that we're after goes boom, that tends to set things back a bit." Mirage pointed out.

"Uh-huh. An' how many of those charges ya detonated yerself there, Raj?" Jazz shot back with a grin. "Ah ain't th' only one who likes things to go boom."

Before the conversation could devolve further, Prowl spoke up. "As I was saying - Jazz and Bee will be handed data chips. I want you two to download everything in the Nemesis's mainframe. We'll bring it back here, and review the data."

Jazz nodded, a faint frown crossing his face. "Are ya sure about that? Ah mean, Bee an' I can run a standard virus check while we download everythin', but that's it. We run a pretty good chance of bringin' somethin' pretty vicious back with us. Ya sure we wanna introduce anythin' like that to Teletran?"

"We won't be using Teletran to examine the data." Prowl said. "Prime is having a disposable computer brought in for this mission."

Bee glanced at Jazz, then back to Prowl. "If it's human made - anything we bring back might just cause the computer to shut down. I doubt it, but the possibility is there. Human computers are ages behind our tech."

"It's not human make, but it might blow up anyway." Prowl says dryly.

Mirage pinches the bridge of his nose. "Did Wheeljack build this?"

"Well, Jack and Ratchet, so the thing is safer than it could be." Prowl observes. "However, that doesn't instill me with copious amounts of confidence."

"Nothing Wheeljack has a hand in should instill any kind of confidence in you." Bee points out. "Whose bright idea was this?"

"Prime's." Prowl says.

"Ah. Can't argue with the boss-bot, can ya." Jazz muses. He eyes Prowl. "All righ', what're ya not tellin' meh? Ya ain't plannin' on using yer battle computer, are ya?"

"It frightens me to know that you know that crossed my mind." Prowl says mildly. "However, no."

"Good. Ah'd have ta kick yer ass, after Ratch was done wipin' th' floor with ya." Jazz said easily, slouching further into his seat and propping his feet up on Prowl's desk.

Prowl knocked them off with a mild frown. "Don't put your feet on my desk, Jazz."

Bee sighed. "So, when exactly are we supposed to be leaving for the mission? We know the parameters, but not the time table."

"In two hours." Prowl said. "That gives me enough time to debrief Smokescreen and have him stand in as my replacement while we're gone. It shouldn't take us more than a few hours to complete the mission, but given it's the Decepticons we're talking about, it could take longer."

(I'm judt gonna double post, if ya don't mind. *grins*)

Jazz gave Bee and Mirage a grin. "Ya heard th' mech, two hours. Go grab what ya think ya'll need, and meet us back at the entrance. Scram."

Bee stuck his tongue out at Jazz as he and Mirage left. Jazz snorted as he kicked back in the chair, his feet propped on the edge of the desk. He gave Prowl a long stare.

"Somethin's buggin' ya."

((I don't mind at all. You just kicked me into gear *laughs*))

Prowl sighs. "Call it an instinct."

That has Jazz's attention. "Ya don't have instincts."

"I am this time."

"And what's it tellin' ya?"

Prowl gives him a look. "That I'm going to be leading a rescue expedition in a few hours. And Ratchet is going to have an operating room full of special ops mechs."

Jazz's visor flickers. "Now that's grim."

"Why do you think I'm going with you? Optimus may not like it, but I'm quicker on my feet than Smokescreen is. Give him some more experience and he'll be fine, but right now, you guys will need me more than Prime will."

Jazz mulls that over for a moment. "Okay, then. Do Ah need to have Hound with ya an' 'Raj?"

"No. It's you and Bee I'm worried about." Prowl says, sighing. "Call it intuition, but something's telling me that you two are going to get hurt on this mission. I don't know how, but I can feel it."

Jazz stares at Prowl for a moment. "An' Ah suspect it won' do me any good ta point out that Bee an' I will be takin' every precaution possible, would it?"

"No."

Jazz laughs quietly. "Ya know, Bee an' Ah are very good at what we do. Ah c'n count on one hand th' number of times we've been caught."

"I'm not worried about you two being captured. If I thought there was even the slightest chance of that, I wouldn't send you two at all. I get the feeling they're laying a trap for you, and I don't know what it is, or how to avoid it. That's what's bothering me. They know that we're going to send either you or Bee, and they're waiting for you to make your move. Then they'll make theirs." Prowl says, rubbing his temples. "And without any kind of idea of what they're doing, I can't plan for it. So, I have to be on-site with you guys."

Jazz nods. "That just instills the warm fuzzies in me." he mutters.

Prowl groans. "That's about how I'm feeling right now." He stands up and places a hand on Jazz's shoulder. "I need to update Smokescreen. Just promise me you'll be careful. Okay?"

Jazz smiles. "Sure thing, Prowler. Ya do the same."

Prowl merely smiles as he walks out, leaving Jazz shaking his head. Jazz stays put for a few more moments before getting up and going to his quarters. If the 'Cons were planning to give them a nasty welcome, he'd just have to have a few things on hand to return the favor.

--/

Prowl met Jazz and the others by the doors. He rose an eyebrow at the faint smirk Jazz was wearing. He gave Mirage a smile. "Are we ready? I want to get this over with."

Jazz and Bee exchanged a long look before nodding to Prowl. "Yup." Jazz said cheerfully. "Bee an' Ah are gonna leave first, to give us a chance to get ta th' Nemesis 'fore ya'll come out. We wanna be in place before they figure somethin's up."

Mirage nodded. "Of course. I will have Prowl and myself shielded. We know where to go."

"Good. Meet ya'll when we're done." Jazz gave a small salute and turned to head out the door with Bee. Prowl gave them a small smile. "Be careful, you two."

"We're always careful." Jazz said cheerfully.

"I have copies of Ratchet's reports that state otherwise." Prowl replies, but he smiles anyway. Jazz just gives him a cheeky grin and leaves with Bee. Mirage glances over at Prowl.

"Just how blind can Jazz be?" he mutters.

Prowl gives him a look. "It's not like I'm advertising, you know."

"No, not at all. Except, you are. For you, anyway."

"Emphasis on that last part. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who knows."

Mirage can't help a smile. "No, actually, I think Bee knows. He's just smart enough not to say anything to anyone that's not you, Jazz, and me. Come on, let's go get in position."

Jazz and Bee slip into the Nemesis undetected, moving straight for the main computer console. Bee taps Jazz's shoulder twice, and they both slip into the shadows before a seeker rounds the corner. Jazz frowns. Ah ain't ever seen that seeker before. Have ya?" he asks Bee.

"Nope. I thought that the only seekers were Starscream's trine, and the coneheads." Bee says, watching the seeker disappear around the far corner. Jazz nods and comm's Prowl.

"Megatron's got new seekers, Prowler. One just passed meh an' Bee." It's not the most useful information, but it might come in handy later.

Jazz peeks around the corner, and starts moving again, headed for the main bank of computers. They slip inside and get to work, sliding the datachips into place and begin typing rapidly. "All right, here, lemme see - we've got duty rosters, rotations, service records, we're definitely keepin' those, aha! Weapons schematics."

Prowl frowns. A new seeker? How did that get past their sensors?

Something hard presses against the base of his head. "Don't move, Auto-scum."

Prowl freezes. Seriously, Mirage's invisibility shield really should have kept this from happening. He can think of two reasons why that failed, and neither bode well. He glances to the side, and finds Mirage in a similar position with a plasma gun pressed to his head. He tilts his head slightly in question. Mirage offers a short nod.

Option number two then. The 'Cons found a way to see through it.

Well, slag.

Bee and Jazz finish downloading everything they can find, then turn to leave. Faint scuffling behind the door leading to the console room reaches Jazz's audios, and he grabs Bee, dragging him to a vent placed above the doors. "We're goin' through there."

"Are we going to fit?"

"We're about ta find out. We got company outside, an' Ah ain't heard back from 'Raj or Prowler."

"We could just fight our way out."

"Nope. Too risky. We don' know who's on th' other side of that door, an' if Ah'm honest, Ah don' wanna find out."

"Good point. Well then, up we go." Jazz boosts Bee up and into the vent, before hoisting himself up and in and replacing the grate. They start the careful process of moving through the vent, making as little noise as possible.

Outside, Prowl considers his options. He glances at Mirage again. The other mech turns ever so slightly, considers a moment, and nods.

Oh, good.

Prowl and Mirage spring to their feet at the same time, twisting around and disarming the Decepticons behind them before they do much more than yelp in surprise. Prowl takes the plasma rifle from the mech and fires once, dropping him. Mirage simply holds his at bay.

"This one saw us first." he says.

Prowl scowls. "How did you do that?"

The mech grins. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

For a moment, Prowl considers shooting him anyway. He turns to Mirage. "Let's get him to the Ark. Quickly. He probably has friends on patrol."

Mirage nods. "Got it, boss."

Prowl glances behind him at the Nemesis. "Hurry, Jazz. We have company out here."

"Us too. It seems like yer bad feelin' was right, Prowler. Bee an' Ah may hafta blow our way outta here. We're in th' vents now."

"Oh, for the love of Primus, please be careful."

"Ain't we always?"

"Do you want the honest answer?"

". . . Not really?" It came out more a question than an answer. Bee taps Jazz's shoulder.

"We can exit through here and blast our way through the wall."

"Good idea." "We're about ta make our exit, Prowler. Ya'll go on ahead, we'll catch up."

Prowl hesitates. "I don't like that plan."

"We'll be fine, Prowler. It's me and Bee yer talkin' ta."

"I know. Why do you think I'm worried?"

"Ah, that's not nice Prowler!"

Mirage looks up, his gun still pointed at the 'Con. "If we're taking him and not dropping him, we need to go now." he says. "I hear the air patrol."

"Slag it." Prowl mutters. "There are Seekers in the area. Be careful. We're heading to the Ark, and then I'm circling back around. We'll draw them away."

"Prowler!"

"That's the best you're getting out of me." Prowl turns to Mirage. "Let's go."