Black and White

Lightrain merely smiles at Prime. "I've conducted the initial screenings, so now I'll just follow the team around for about a week. So far, everyone's passed their screening."

"Including Mirage?" Prime asks wryly, making the team burst out laughing as Mirage preens.

"Including Mirage." Lightrain confirms with a laugh. "I actually found his attempts to throw me off quite entertaining."

"It just means I'll have to try harder." Mirage says loftily. "It'll be fine."

Deadshot shakes his head. "I really hope you know what you're getting yourself into here, Doc. Mirage has something to prove now."

"I know he's sane, so any attempts to prove otherwise would just be a waste of time." Lightrain grins at Deadshot. "I'm not worried."

Mirage crosses his arms over his chassis and tries his best not to pout. Prowl snorts. "Yeah, you aren't fooling anyone."

"Bite me."

"No. I'm not taking away Hound's fun."

Optimus looks up at the ceiling. "You say you love us all equally, but You don't, do You?"

Gunner grins. "Primus adores you. That's why He gave you all these fun mechs to brighten your day!"

Lightrain casually leans back. Jazz gives him a look. Lightrain shrugs. "I want Optimus to have a clear shot when he finally decides to just punch Gunner."

Jazz grins. "Oh, he ain' gonna punch Gunner. Toss 'im over 'is shoulder an' make off with 'im, but he ain' gonna punch 'im."

Before Optimus can kick him, the red alert sounds. Prowl just looks up at the flashing lights. "I'm off-shift dammit!"

"It's cute you think that matters." Jazz says with a grin. "Let's go find out what's up."

"Am I hearing screaming?" Lightrain asks.

"Probably."

The faint smell of smoke drifts into the rec room from Red Alert's office, and Prime shakes his helm. "Ratchet just fixed his glitch last night, he's not going to be thrilled to see Red again so soon." he says on a sigh.

Lightrain glances back in that direction. "Is this common?"

"Common enough that no one really comments on it anymore." Jazz gets to his feet, and draws his weapons. "We should go see who our visitor is."

Mirage stands and grins. "Maybe it's someone I haven't terrorized yet."

"Ah very seriously doubt that, mech." Jazz says with a laugh as the rest of the team follows them out.

As they step outside, Prowl can clearly see the three mechs standing in plain sight. Their Decepticon logos are almost too obvious. Prowl figures there's got to be at least three more hiding outside of scanner range. Otherwise this just has 'stupid' written all over it.

Optimus speaks first. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"We want you to return the traitor Deadshot to us for punishment!" the leader shouts.

Gunner just gives him a look. "And if we don't?"

The femme standing to the leader's left speaks up. "Then we'll burn your entire base down with you inside."

Jazz leans over to Prowl. "How many are there?" he asks quietly.

Prowl snorts. "Not enough to pull that claim off."

Mirage leans forward so his head is between Prowl and Jazz's. "She does realize our base is made of metal and built into the mountain, right?" he asks, not bothering to lower his voice.

Jazz has to work to stifle the laugh, and Prowl doesn't bother to as the Decepticons in front of them scowl. The femme loses her temper and draws her weapon, pointing it at Prime's chestplate. "Give us Deadshot. We won't ask again."

Prime doesn't look particularly concerned about the weapon pointed in his direction, and shakes his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that. Now, do yourselves a favor and leave before Jazz and Prowl get bored and take that boredom out on you."

"They don't - " Whatever she was going to say got cut off as one of Prowl's swords slams into her abdomen, burying itself to the hilt. She hits the ground without a sound. Prowl straightens and eyes the other two mechs, his other sword swinging idly through the air.

"I got bored."

Jazz's grin spreads slow and sly, and the other two take a few steps back, before turning tail and booking it for the horizon, not even sparing their dead comrade a glance. There's a noise above them, and everyone turns to see another Decepticon racing off after the others. Jazz considers throwing a dagger and taking him out, but decides against it, and just watches them run.

Prowl walks forward and retrieves his sword, though he has to yank a little to get it out. He eyes the blade, wipes the excess energon off, and then slides it home. He gives them a grin. "That was fun."

"You're the only one who got to have fun." Mirage complains mildly.

"Speak for yourself." Jazz drawls, shooting him a grin over his shoulder.

Mirage rolls his optics. "Prowl was a badass. Of course you had fun."

"Please don't scar me again." Optimus says mildly. "I don't need to hear about Jazz's kinks."

"That's not even his worst one, Prime." Prowl says absently.

"La la la, I can't hear you!"

Gunner bursts out laughing. "Don't let him fool you - Prime's got the same kink, Jazz."

There's about 10 seconds of dead silence before the ops team proceeds to bust out laughing while Optimus just stares at the sky like it has the answers to his problems.

Jazz wanders over to Prime, and holds his hand up for a high-five. Prime eyes the grin on Jazz's face, sighs heavily, then slaps his palm against Jazz's. Jazz's grin gets just a touch wider, then he wanders away to wrap an arm around Mirage's shoulders and bump hips with Prowl.

Lightrain watches the proceedings with interest, coming to stand next to Prime. "I don't know about you, but something tells me you just got inducted into a club that only has a few members."

Prime laughs. "Yes. Those members are Jazz, Hound, and Bluestreak."

"All of whom have mates or love interests who casually dispense violence without batting an optic." Lightrain says with a grin. "Congratulations."

"I'm not sure you should congratulate me on that." Prime says dryly. He and Lightrain start moving for the door even as Lightrain starts to laugh. "None of my men are sane, and I think Primus gave them to me as a test. They make my wires go grey."

"You like the mayhem." Lightrain states as he gets his laughter under control. "Don't try to con a shrink, Prime. I'll just end up psychoanalyzing you too."

Prime just gives him a look. "I'm Prime, I'm exempt from psychoanalyzing."

"Ha! You wish."

"I really, really do."

Prowl just slides up behind him and grins. "I like how you know that I'm the one prone to violence, not Jazz. Most mechs mistake this."

Lightrain gives him a distinctly unimpressed look. "I would be shit at my job if I couldn't figure out you're just as much of a sadist as he is."

Prowl bursts out laughing. "Yeah, we're keeping you."

Lightrain laughs quietly. "I told Jazz, and I'll tell you. I can't stay with any one unit in case I become compromised."

Prowl merely grins back. "It's cute that you think that'll slow us down at all. We'll wear you down eventually."

"The scary thing is that I believe you." Lightrain says with a grin. "But I can guarantee that my superiors would pull me away."

They pause at the entrance to the rec room, and find Jazz leaning against the wall, shamelessly eavesdropping. Jazz's grin is nothing short of devious. "How do ya think Ah got Prowler here? It wasn' jus' my good looks ya know. Ah've got a knack for keepin' mechs Ah like."

"Jazz, don't you dare." Lightrain warns with a grin. "There are other teams who need me too."

"Ah never said ya couldn' work with 'em." Jazz says easily, even as Prime sighs loudly.

"No, Jazz." Prime says, burying his face into his palm. "You know better."

"Ain' stopped me before, Prime."

"Old enough to know better, can't be assed to care." Prowl quips, sliding up beside Jazz.  Jazz actually laughs and leans against Prowl, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.  Prowl smiles.  "We love it and you know it."

"Hey, it got us you, didn' it?" Jazz retorts.

"So how did that happen?" Lightrain asks suddenly.  "The records are a little blurry."

"I poked my nose where it didn't belong and Jazz decided he liked me." Prowl says.  "But he was assigned to Magnus at the time, and I was supposed to go to Prime's group."

"So Ah pitched a fit." Jazz says with an easy grin.

"Oh." Lightrain considers that.  "How much of a fit did you have to throw?"

"He told me to my face that I wasn't getting him back, and I could kiss his ass." Prime says dryly.

Jazz and Prowl burst into laughter as Lightrain hides his face in his hands.  Optimus pats him patronizingly on the shoulder.

"Just give in now.  It's easier that way."

Jazz shoots Lightrain a winning smile. "Or ya can keep playin' hard ta get. Either way, Imma have ya reassigned."

"Don't tell my superiors to kiss your ass, please. That's a good way for me to get fired." Lightrain's head doesn't lift from his hands.

Jazz looks over at Prowl. "Ah think th' culture shock's gettin' ta 'im."

Prowl and Prime snort as one, and Prime actually laughs. "Somehow, I don't think it's culture shock, Jazz." he says, laying a comforting hand on Lightrain's shoulder. "I think it's just a natural reaction to you."

Jazz considers that for a moment, then nods in agreement. "Ah'll accept that." he shoots a grin at Prime. "Pretty sure that was the pose ya struck every time Ah walked inta yer office the first weeks Ah was here."

"I was fighting off a stress migraine." Prime said, glad the battlemask hid his grin. "It came and went with you."

Prowl smirks. "Don't let him fool you, Jazz, he loves the chaos. Even if he won't admit it."

"I'm just glad you guys work for me, that's all."

"It's cute how you keep saying that." Mirage says. "Didn't you join us last time we went bar crawling?"

"Primus -"

"Pretty sure we still have the video of that." Bee muses.

"I didn't even do anything!"

"Prime, ya picked a mech up, an' pitched 'im across th' room because he copped an attitude with ya." Jazz points out with a delighted grin. "Didn' do nothin' my ass."

Prime sighed and looked up at the ceiling again as if personally pleading with Primus. "And you'll note I haven't gone with you again."

"Yeah, because Ironhide said he wanted to go with next time so he could watch." Prowl murmured, grinning and ducking when Prime swiped at his head. "Don't hit me because it's true!"

Prime quit swiping at Prowl when he noticed the smile on Jazz's face as he watched the two of them. "What?"

Jazz's smile widened a little. "This is my happy place. Don' mind me."

Prime eyes him warily. "I don't like that smile. Put it away."

Mirage grins. "Oh, that's not his planning smile. You're safe, Prime."

"I feel so much better now. Honestly."

Bluestreak grins. "Wow. I think that's the most sarcasm I've heard from you."

"Give it time." Prowl, Jazz, Mirage, and Prime say in tandem.

Bluestreak blinks, and looks from mech to mech. "So, that was in four-way stereo and now I don't know how to respond to that."

Jazz grins loftily. "It's a gift."

Lightrain snorts. "More like it's a side-effect of spending so much time around each other." he says mildly, earning an exasperated look from Jazz. "What? It's true."

"Yer not supposed ta tell 'im! It ruins the fun!"

Lightrain levels a dry look at Jazz, whose expression is the picture of petulance. "I have some bad news for you - I'm a shrink, it's my job to ruin the fun."

"Only if you use your powers for good." Prowl says. "If you use your powers for evil, then you can have lots of fun as a shrink."

Lightrain gives him a look. "I'm scared to ask."

"You know how the processor works. Think of all the fun you could have screwing with mechs."

"No thanks, I'll leave that to Mirage."

Mirage preens while the others crack up laughing.

Lightrain gave up on trying to convince Jazz, and internally reminded himself to talk to Prime about it later. He shifted the conversation back to business. "So I'll be here for at least a week, observing the team and taking notes. I know how to stay out of the way, and I'll begin that in earnest tomorrow."

Jazz nodded with a low hum. "Aight. D'ya have a place ta crash? I'm pretty sure we've got room in the ops barracks."

Lightrain smiled. "My accommodations have been taken care of. I appreciate the offer though." He couldn't be sure, but he got the distinct impression Jazz narrowed his optics behind his visor.

Jazz hummed again, but this time the tone was distinctly disgruntled, and the sound made Prowl burst out laughing.

Lightrain looked from one mech to the other, and watched as Jazz frowned at Prowl. "Something I miss?"

Prowl's grin was bright and amused as he dragged Jazz over to him and dropped a fond kiss on Jazz's head. "He gets twitchy when mechs he likes aren't where he can keep tabs on them." he said, ratting Jazz out shamelessly.

"Hey!" Jazz looks up at him and pouts, but Prowl just kisses him. Jazz can't help but grin. "No fair, Prowler."

"How long have you known me?"

"Shaddup."

Lightrain smiles faintly. "I'll be fine where I am, Jazz. I promise." He makes a show of crossing his spark before standing up. "Well, I'm going to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." With that he vanishes from the rec room.

Hound watches him go. "At least we didn't break him."

Mirage grins. "Yet."

Hound promptly smacks him upside the head while the others laugh.

Jazz grins as he settles back against the wall and watches the psych mech leave. "I mean, if Raj hadn't said it, I woulda." he points out with a laugh. "Raj just beat me to it."

Mirage nods and glances over at Jazz. "So, how long until you have Lightrain set up in the Ops barracks?"

"An hour, maybe. Less if I can bribe Blaster into hacking into the system and moving him." Jazz says with a sly grin.

"Utterly shameless." Prowl murmurs, earning a winning smile from the visored mech next to him.

"Shame is for other mechs." Jazz says with a laugh. "I ain't got none."

"Oh I'm very well aware." Prowl says cheerfully. He stands up and stretches. "Well, I'm going to get some rest. Come join us when you're done rearranging Lightrain's quarters." Jazz laughs and waves him away.

((I'm out of ideas on where to go from here. Time jump?))

((Time jump!))

The next morning found Jazz and Blaster having an animated discussion about music when Sideswipe wandered over. He dropped into the seat next to Jazz and propped his head up on his hand, content to listen to them talk. Jazz gave him a sideways glance.

"Ya okay, mech?"

"Yeah - Smokey had me on all night patrol, so I'm just winding down. Hope you don't mind me crashing your party." Sides said with a faint grin. Jazz merely shook his head and pushed his cube of energon into Side's hand.

"Naw, yer good. Refuel before ya go ta bed, so Sunny don't have mah skidplates." Jazz said with a grin. "Ah don' need him comin' after meh."

Sides nodded and stared into the cube. "Can I ask you a question?" he said finally, getting Jazz's attention again. Blaster excused himself, and Jazz turned to face him. "Sunny and I have been talking, and he's considering asking Blue to bond with him."

Jazz blinked at him for almost a minute, completely at a loss for words. "Okay," he said finally. "What are ya askin' meh?"

"Your permission, I guess?" Sides said, shifting uncomfortably.

Jazz tried to suppress a smile. "He don' need my permission - but he might wanna talk ta Prowl. He'd know more about that kind of thing anyhow."

Sides nodded, then stood. "Any idea where he is?"

"Prolly in his office, if Ah know him." Jazz said easily. Before Sides could head that way, Jazz caught his arm. "Ah'm happy for them, Sides. All Ah ask is that Sunny treat Blue good."

Sideswipe gives him a small grin. "If there's anything you don't have to worry about, it's that. Sunny's so far gone over Blue it's a little hilarious." He pauses when Jazz's grip tightens a little, an optical ridge raising in question.

Jazz tugs him back to the table and gestures at the chair Sides just left. Sides sits down and eyes Jazz curiously.

"When ya gonna quit dancin' around Bee and ask 'im out?" Jazz asks curiously. "It's pretty obvious to everyone except Bee at this point."

Sides' optics grow wide. "How the hell do you know about that?" he demands in a low whisper, glancing around. "And keep your voice down!"

"Mech, ya ain' subtle. Ah've been watchin' ya flirt with 'im for months now." Jazz says dryly. "So, back ta mah question - ya gonna do anythin' about that torch?"

Sides twists his fingers together. "I don't know, maybe? Eventually?" he glances up at Jazz. "I know Deadshot's got a crush on Bee too. You want to talk about not subtle?"

Jazz bursts out laughing. "Mech, ya ain' wrong, but Ah can pretty much guarantee that Bee ain' interested in Deadshot." His smile goes sly, and Sideswipe squints at him suspiciously.

"You know who has Bee's optic, don't you." It's not phrased as a question, and Jazz answers it anyway.

"O'course. What kind of leader would Ah be if I didn'?"

Prowl glances up from his paperwork at a knock on his office door. "Come in."

Bluestreak pokes his head in. "You got a minute?"

Prowl leans back in his chair and pushes away the padd. "Of course. What can I do for you?"

Blue sits down across the desk from him. His doorwings are rigid, clearly tense, but he doesn't hesitate to ask his question.

"Do you think I'm old enough to bond?"

Prowl blinks, then grins. "Sunstreaker?"

Blue nods. "Yeah."

"Has he asked yet?"

"No. But I want to ask him. He's taking too long, but I don't know if it's because of my age."

Prowl just smiles. "Blue, I can guarantee you one thing - whatever reason he's waiting, it's not because of your age. He might be waiting for the right time. You guys haven't really been officially dating, so maybe he's worried about overstepping."

Blue considers. "That might be it."

"Can I ask -" Sideswipe starts to say, then laughs as Jazz merely shakes his head slowly.

"Ya can, but Ah won' say. Less fun if I tell ya." Jazz's smile is amused and then it goes sly as Lightrain walks in, looking around before lighting on Jazz sitting in the corner with Sideswipe. Sides follows his gaze, and then glances sidelong at the ops leader.

"Ooh, I haven't seen that smile in a while." Sideswipe comments with a grin. "You've been scheming, Jazz."

"Ah'm always schemin', Sides, ya know that." Jazz says easily as Lightrain sits down with a cube of energon and a padd. "Mornin' Lightrain."

"Good morning, Jazz." Lightrain says with a smile before turning to Sides. "You must be Sideswipe."

"I am. You must be the shrink Mirage was pouting about not being able to trick. Bluestreak was telling me and my brother about you." Sides says with a grin. "Nice to meet you."

"You as well." Lightrain says, glancing at Jazz. "Where is the rest of the team?"

"Prolly still sleepin'," Jazz says, checking his internal chronometer. "Ya likely won' see 'Raj or the others for another hour or so - Prowler and Ah are early risers."

"Ah. And what about you?" Lightrain asks Sides.

"Me? I just got off an overnight patrol, so I'm just fueling up and headed to bed." Sides stands, and gives Jazz a fist-bump. "I'll catch you guys later. Jazz? Can you have Bee come see me in a little bit?"

Jazz nods and gives him a slow smile. "Ya know, ya ain' gotta rush it. But yeah, Ah'll send 'im in your direction."

Blue and Sides pass each other as Blue enters the rec room. They pause for a moment, discussing something with each other that Jazz and Lightrain can't hear. Suddenly, Sides laughs, Blue's doorwings relax a bit, and the sniper joins Jazz at his table.

Jazz gives him a look. "Whatcha plannin', mech?"

Blue shrugs. "I'm getting tired of Sunny dancing around me."

Jazz busts out laughing at that. "Well, that might have solved that!"

Blue rolls his optics. "Don't tell me Sides decided to ask for your blessings on our behalf."

"Kinda?"

"Well, if he gets up the struts to do it soon, I'll give him my blessings first."