This day was not different from those they had already experienced since their arrival on planet Earth, it had almost become a routine for the Autobots. The Decepticons would attack a human installation for energon, the Autobots would come to help the humans or protect them, the two factions would fight, and usually Megatron would eventually retreat if he wasn't too busy fighting Optimus Prime .
Except it wasn't for the TIC of the Autobots, the mech that was head of special ops, the Autobot Jazz. He had noticed strange things on the battlefield for some time, but he had nothing concrete at the moment, which prevented him from telling the rest of his faction's command. Nevertheless, he wasn't the Autobots' best spy for no reason, and so he decided to carry out his little investigation from the moment it started, being the only one who realized it.
And if he was honest, he couldn't blame his comrades for not noticing, even he had almost missed it if his experience hadn't helped him notice what was happening during the fights. These were small actions, but they had a specific purpose: to protect Cybertronians from both factions. This fact surprised Jazz at first, he even thought he was wrong, but his observations confirmed this fact to him. On several occasions, he had seen Decepticons or Autobots being stopped before a decisive move that would have caused more or less serious damage to their opponents, and in a way that was quite amusing when he thought about it. A simple rock that always hit the mark, hitting very sensitive cables or joints, with enough force to be noticed in order to distract whoever was targeted.
But the most amusing thing was that he didn't know the identity of this "guardian angel" as the humans would say, because he knew that none of their human allies were behind all this, it was far too dangerous and they didn't know their anatomy in detail. A mystery he was determined to solve, he needed to find out who this person was and why she was helping the Autobots and Decepticons alike. He desperately needed answers to his questions, and he was going to have to get them alone.
The Decepticons' attack on this electrical station therefore gave him the perfect opportunity to finally get an answer, this person having so far not missed any attack since he had realized an external presence during the fighting. He had therefore pushed all his sensory abilities to their maximum to be sure not to miss anything, while remaining vigilant during the battle which had made him a much tougher opponent than usual with his constant vigilance. If his allies had been surprised that he was so effective on the battlefield, it was nothing compared to the Decepticons who began to retreat in order to avoid confronting the Autobot spy whose reputation was well known within their ranks.
When Jazz noticed it, he couldn't hold back an insult as he saw his luck slipping away. By wanting at all costs to discover the one he had nicknamed "the guardian angel", he himself had prevented them from intervening, depriving him of any chance of being able to discover who they were. But as he ruminated on this fact, outbursts of voices drew the attention of members of both factions to whoever was behind it, Megatron and Starscream.
- It's all your fault, Starscream!
- MY FAULT ?! repeated the Seeker with a shrill scream. I had nothing to do with this Autobot deciding to fight seriously! I told you that power station was way too close to Autobot range! But as always, you never listen to me and you say it's my fault! This is just one more reason why I should be the leader of the Decepticons!
These kinds of arguments between the Seeker and the warlord were also part of their routine, one trying again and again to kill the other to take control of the Decepticons, without ever succeeding, while his leader insulted him or even even beat him. This treatment of his soldiers horrified Optimus, but there was nothing he could do about it. Usually, Starscream's punishment took place on the Nemesis, but with today's failure, added to all those who had preceded it with a little help from this "guardian angel", Megatron's patience had reached its limit and Starcream only realized it too late.
A good portion of the Autobots watched in horror as Megatron grabbed his SIC by one wing, extracting him a cry mingled horror and pain. There was nothing more sensitive than wings in a Seeker, and Starcream's Trine shared his horror as well. Skywarp and Thundercracker seem ready to step in to help him for once. A situation that reminded Jazz that they were probably going to have to hold back one of their mechs to prevent him from intervening, a friend of Starcream, and probably many more in the past if you asked his opinion on their relationship. Their newest addition who hadn't seen the war and turned into a shuttle, a graduate scientist from the University of Iacon, Skyfire.
But he didn't need to hold back the mech who had been ready to help the Seeker, Megatron was stopped before, except no one saw anything. No one except Jazz. He had clearly seen the projectile hitting a sensitive cable in the gray mech's wrist, causing him to drop Starscream's wing, who wasted no time in taking over. Then other projectiles shot out, hitting more and more cables and sensitive joints, provoking in return an avalanche of insults and threats from Megatron under the incomprehension of the members of the two factions.
- Did Megatron finally lose a bolt?
- Who knows, Sideswipe, replied his twin. But that's the impression he's giving me.
- Prime, Megatron is particularly unstable, we need to make sure he doesn't cause more damage before returning to the Ark.
- You're absolutely right, Prowl. Jazz, can you...Jazz?
Optimus was more and more perplexed, Megatron's erratic behavior was already disturbing, but he had never seen Jazz so quiet and serious. His visor were trained on the leader of the Decepticons, as if studying him, his usual smile completely absent. This cycle just kept getting weirder and weirder, and he would lie saying not to be worried. He hesitated to pull Jazz from his observation but he didn't have to, the mech jerked his head up to stare at a point behind Megatron before rushing straight towards him without the slightest hesitation.
- I've got you !
Jazz's exclamation put an end to Megatron's little tantrum, especially when he saw the white and black mech rushing towards him with determination. He was far from unaware of the Autobots' reputation and TIC abilities, he knew that if Optimus gave him the order to eliminate him, he would have no chance of making it out alive. By reflex, he pointed his fusion cannon at him, ready to fire, but the Autobot just pass by him, completely ignoring him as he continued to run.
- Sorry, Meg! But you're not my priority today!
Megatron was choking with rage, especially when Jazz had the audacity to greet him with a mocking smile. He fired at the mech but he dodged the shot with ease and disappeared between the trees, and he didn't have a chance to pursue him as the rest of the Autobots shot at them again, forcing them to retreat with the little of energon they had managed to harvest.
And while his friends worried about his behavior, Jazz continued his pursuit, having finally managed to get a visual on this "guardian angel". At least if he could call out a white shape no bigger than an average human that seemed capable of flying a convincing visual, he hadn't had time to see more but he was sure he'd manage to get an answer this time. His patience was going to pay off.
His run took him into a clearing and he could see the small white form hiding in the top of a tree, their rapid breathing telling him that the pursuit had exhausted them. He could easily try to capture them to finally get his answers, but he would feel like he was acting like a Decepticon and he didn't want to be seen as an enemy, he wanted to understand above all by gaining their trust. His decision made, he settled down at the foot of the tree where his target had taken refuge while raising his visor slightly upwards, even if he saw nothing, but he knew they weren't gone.
- You know, you can brag about having made me run, it's not given to everyone. And I recognize that you are talented, very talented. I'm the only one who noticed you, and it'll be a miracle if Hatchet doesn't try to check if my CPU is missing a connection or two.
- ...I bet on you or Soundwave.
A woman. That was Jazz's first thought upon hearing that soft voice above him.
- Me or Soundwave? You flatter me little woman.
- It made sense. He's a telepath, but I'm special, so he couldn't have heard me. And I expected no less from Sentinel Prime's former personal assassin.
Those words had the effect of a stab in the back for the mech, a flash of red flashing under his visor. This part of his past was only known to Prime, Prowl, Ironhide and Ratchet, no other Autobots knew about it.
- Only the Autobot high command knows what I was, no one else, not even the Decepticons. So how do you know? Jazz asked in a cold voice.
- ...A long, long time ago, Sentinel gave you the order to eliminate a mech without giving you a reason, except that you didn't. Something stopped you, you felt he was special and you disobeyed. This mech is my Sire.
- Sire? It's a Cybertronian term! Who are you ? Your voice sounds human, but you know too much about us for it to be that simple!
- I'm sorry, I've already told you too much. But I don't think I'll keep hiding, not for very long. Earth is my planet, the only one I've ever known, I want to protect it. You'll see me again soon, and I'll give you a hint in the meantime. I am not a human being, nor a Cybertronian, but I am also both, a unique being.
- What ? That does not make any sense ! You can not...!
- Bye, Jazz.
A rustle of leaves, a flash of white, and she was gone. He had followed her in search of answers, and he had ended up with more questions. He still didn't know what she was, why she helped members of both factions, where all her knowledge about him, about them, about the Cybertronians came from.
He didn't have time to dwell on it, he was seeing messages piling up in his inbox, those from Prime were worried, but the majority were from Prowl and their contents made him wince. If he didn't recharge on the ground or outside their quarters tonight, it would be a real miracle. Not to mention the wrench that Ratchet must have prepared especially for him. The return was going to hurt.
- Hey, Prowler. Gather the high command, I must speak to you and quickly.