All That Jazz

Amy woke up slowly as if she hadn't had sleep in years, and stretched. Her hands hit the roof of the car, and she stared.

"Oh!" She looked up then frowned. How did I get in here? She raised an eyebrow, and looked around in confusion.

Trigger twittered, and jumped up onto the dash. It fluttered its head flaps, and made a purring sound.

Amy smiled. She looked around, and recognized the interior of the silver Pontiac. She grumbled, and pulled the door handle.

Nothing happened.

Amy pulled at the lock, but she could not get a hold on the small silver t-shape. Her frown deepened, and she looked at the dashboard.

Jazz awoke to a swift, hard kick to his dashboard, and revved his engine angrily.

"Let me OUT!" Amy roared.

"Mebbe doc coulda put a happy chip in your head or somethin'." Jazz grumbled.

"I'm plenty happy." Amy stuck her tongue out at the rearview mirror, and the white sound wave form trembling on its screen.

The passenger door swung open. "Get out!" Jazz's engine revved again.

"Jerk." Amy got out of the car, and slammed the door. "Lock me in." she mumbled, and folded her arms.

Trigger pawed at the window with chord arm until it rolled down then the black ball robot fluttered out, and hovered over Amy's right shoulder.

Jazz transformed into his robot form, knelt down, and scooped Amy up in his hand.

Amy shrieked indignantly as the silver robot pressed her to his chest. The dark-haired girl sighed, and let herself relax against Jazz's chest.

"I was..." Jazz started. "I mean, you..." He said, flustered. "Be more careful." He finally said, and set Amy down.

Amy was a little putout then wrinkled her nose up angrily. "That'sit? You faint, and then-"

"Whoa, girl, I did not faint!" Jazz folded his arms indignantly. "Somethin' disrupted my servos, and my neural processor had to just shut down for a minute."

"More like twenty. Admit it, you fainted! I bet it was the sight of human blood, are you squeamish, Jazz?" Amy teased, grinning. "I bet you are!" She clasped her hands behind her back.

"Autobots don't get squeamish." Jazz growled.

"Uh huh, I believe that." Amy raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Great, so we agree!" Jazz exclaimed. He wasn't really frustrated, but this human girl made him do all kinds of hypocritical things when he was around her. Before her he was a well-to-do Autobot Lieutenant, and a respected one at that.

Amy clenched her fists at her sides. "It's called sarcasm!" She stomped her foot. "Which means I really don't believe you!"

Jazz crouched stepped deliberately inches from Amy, and relaxed on his recharge station. "Whatever, 'least now I can kick back." He lay down, and crossed one leg over the other, and braced his hands behind his head. Rap music emanated from the car stereo that he still controlled somewhere inside his inner workings.

Amy glared. "So you're just going to leave me here?" she shouted over the music.

The music's volume increased.

"Ah!" Amy put her hands on her hips. "HEY!" She shouted.

Jazz looked at Amy, the motions on his face indicating the same as raising an eyebrow. He unfurled his left arm from under his head, and pointed at the wall across from him. "Door's over there." He said.

Amy stuck out her tongue. "You are so-" She made a gesture like squeezing someone's neck. She glared up at the robot, and the little voice in the back of her mind sighed. Ahhh, A girl could fall for a guy like you. "SHUT UP!" Amy shouted.

Jazz rolled his optics, and curled his arm back under his head, and looked up at the ceiling.

"Ohh, you are so infuriating!" Amy shouted, and started to storm away.

The music's volume increased again.

Amy roared something inaudible, and most likely unkind at the Autobot lieutenant. She was halfway to the door, Trigger fluttering over her shoulder when the monolith door slid back, and Bumblebee stood in the doorway.

"Ah!" Amy jumped.

Bumblebee looked down at Amy. He crouched down, and held out his hand. "Optimus would like to speak with you, if you're up for it."

Amy glanced at Jazz.

Jazz looked away before the girl saw him looking at her. His tinted visor down, he tried to appear completely engrossed in his music.

Amy sighed, a bit disappointed, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break first. "Of course I am," she looked pointedly at Jazz. "I'm up for anything." She climbed into Bumblebee's hand, and sat comfortably on his palm. "Bye Jazz." Amy gave a little wave.

Jazz pushed at the visor with one thumb, revealing one eye. "YOU SAY SOMETHIN'?" He shouted over his music.

Amy rolled her eyes, and folded her arms.

Bumblebee left with Amy in his hand.

Jazz watched the door from underneath his visor. He sighed, and shut off his music. He sat up, and the visor slid back off of his eyes. He stood, and started toward the door to his quarters. He exited, and saw Bumblebee walking away, chuckling about something as Trigger fluttered around, and made impossibly hilarious faces.

And it coulda been you takin' her to Optimus. Jazz chided himself.

Unknown to Jazz, Optimus had specifically asked Bumblebee to bring Amy to him, and leave Jazz out of it at all costs. It was nothing personal, but Jazz would be spending a lot more time with the human girl from now on.

"Hello Amy." Ratchet gave a little wave as he passed Bumblebee exiting the command center.

"Hey-" Amy started to wave back then sighed. "Ratchet..." She murmured, and pulled her legs into a lotus position only to be unceremoniously, accidentally, dumped onto a small raised platform. Amy stood, and brushed herself off. She noticed her ankle didn't hurt in the least, and smiled.

"I trust your ankle has made a full recovery." Optimus said, standing with his arms behind his back, and looking very much like a military officer at attention.

Amy nodded. "Yes, sir." She felt humbled in his presence; authority practically poured off of him in invisible waves.

Bumblebee saluted Optimus. "Permission to be excused, sir!"

"Permission granted, old friend." Optimus nodded.

Bumblebee turned, and gave Amy a little wave. "See ya."

Amy nodded, and returned the wave. "Bye." Her smile fell slightly as the smaller yellow Autobot left.

"Ratchet told me you were stricken with a rather disturbing dream." Optimus stepped toward Amy.

Amy shivered. "Yes. It was horrible."

"Would you please describe it to me?" Optimus asked politely.

Amy sighed. "I was at my house, but it was destroyed. There wasn't anything there of any consequence, but I was walking around."

Ratchet entered the command center, Jazz walking lazily at his heels, looking down. He glanced up, and brightened when he saw Amy.

"Please, continue." Optimus nodded to Amy. He directed Ratchet and Jazz off behind him.

"For some reason the china cabinet looked interesting. It's really nothing special, but I was looking at it anyway, and I saw this glowing blue stick in there, about the size of a stick of chewing gum."

Optimus touched a spot on his right temple, and his eyes glowed to life. A blue ball of light appeared in front of Amy, and depicted the strange blue slab Amy had seen in her dream.

"That's it!" Amy exclaimed. "Oh my god, you know what it is?" She gasped, wide-eyed, pointing at the glowing ball.

Optimus nodded, and the image disappeared. "It is a key."

"Key?" Amy narrowed her eyes in thought, and held on hand to her mouth. She tapped it thoughtfully then happened to glance at trigger. The little robot was poised over an ant that had made its way into the Autobot base, and was now trying to make its way frantically out. A dark line Amy had never noticed before stood out in Trigger's back. "Trig." She walked over, and picked up the little robot.

The little robot ooed as it was lifted up, and watched the room with a dilated eye, as the room seemed to sink before it.

Amy examined the dark shape in Trigger's back, and realized it was a slat big enough for something the size of a stick of gum. "A key." Amy pondered. She looked up at Ratchet. "When I told you what I named Trigger, you seemed...amused."

Ratchet nodded.

"Trigger is known to Autobots as T3X119." Optimus explained.

Amy scratched her head. "Say what?" She raised an eyebrow.

"T3X119 is a codename for the perfect weapon." Ironhide put in, standing off to the side against the wall.

Amy shook her head. "I don't really understand."

"The Allspark made it," Jazz said. "Just like everythin' else. It made this Transformer that destroys worlds."

Amy gasped. "And you think it's Trigger?"

Optimus nodded.

"No way." Amy scoffed. "Trigger can't even stand up on its own let alone destroy worlds." She folded her arms.

Optimus sighed. "The entity you know as Trigger is the remaining left eye of the Transformer designation T3X119."

Amy turned Trigger around, and stared at it. The little root made a purring noise, and showed heart on its little eye screen. "Aww." Amy cooed.

"The remaining power it holds, coupled with the key could wipe out all mechanical life on this planet." Ratchet explained.

Amy started. "Mechanical? It destroys machines?" She blinked wide eyes.

Optimus nodded. "We have no idea the magnitude of the blast, but it could be as devastating as a mass viral plague in humans."

Amy made a disgusted face, and dropped Trigger. The little robot bounced, and rolled before it kicked its legs madly, and rocked back and forth until it could stand.

There was silence in the command center save for Trigger rolling back and forth, and the small grunts it made as it attempted to right itself.

"But..." Amy said softly. "It's so cute, and," she looked at Trigger as it managed to used its little chord arms to prop itself up, and stood with a triumphant fanfare. "My friend. Trigger can't possibly bethat dangerous!" She exclaimed.

"Amy." Ratchet started.

"No! I know exactly where this is going, you want to destroy Trigger!" She scooped up the little robot in her arms, and held it. "I won't let you!"

"Quit actin' like this, we ain't gonna destroy it!" Jazz snapped.

Amy looked at Jazz. "You aren't?" she gasped, hopeful.

Optimus shook his head. "We do ask that you never bring Trigger and the chip together. If you dream is any indication, the chip is at your dilapidated dwelling."

Amy sighed. "If some police clean-up crew hasn't already found it, and locked it into some vault in a basement somewhere."

"The Earth authority communicator indicated no crew has been into the site since the explosion." Ironhide informed them.

Amy raised an eyebrow, her head aching from all the confusion. "But someone should have been in there already.

"Let's say a certain Camaro hacked the frequency, and kept 'em tailin' their own hides." Ironhide winked, or what Amy could assume was an Autobot wink, more like his larger optic dimmed until it was black, giving the illusion of being covered.

Amy chuckled. "A wild goose chase?" She clapped her hands. "Oh that is too good."

"Jazz and Ironhide will accompany you back to your dwelling. They will assist you in searching the remains for anything you may need, and please find that key." Optimus said urgently.

Amy nodded "Okay." She smiled.

"You are welcome to, as humans say, crash at our base if you so desire." Optimus offered.

Amy bit her lip. "I'll have to think about that."

Jazz walked over to Amy with intent on lifting her off of the platform, but Optimus stopped him.

"Jazz, a moment of your time." Optimus requested.

"Sure, Optimus." Jazz faced the commander.

"Alone." Optimus suggested.

Ratchet walked out. Ironhide let Amy hop onto his hand, and the hulking black Autobot carried her out of the command center.

Amy stared at Jazz worriedly until the doors closed behind them.

"What's up, Big O?" Jazz folded his arms.

"I want you to protect the girl." Optimus said, his back to Jazz, staring at a screen ahead of him depicting the Earth, and a few signals on it.

"Yeah, sure." Jazz said confidently. "I can do that."

"You are now the girl's permanent guardian. Her well-being is in your hands."

Jazz let slip his excitement for spending more time with Amy. "Coo'!" He exclaimed.

Optimus smiled slightly though his lieutenant couldn't see.

"I mean, uh, affirmative!" Jazz saluted.

"If T3X119 exhibits threatening behavior, you are to destroy it immediately." Optimus said firmly.

Amy sat on a crate in what looked like a cargo hold of the base; a few other gunmetal gray boxes sat around, but Amy did not care to look in any of them. She swung her legs idly, her heels tapping the surface of the box, the dull thud echoing around the massive room.

"Can you stop that? I can hear all way across the base!" An irritated female voice called.

Amy looked around, but only saw Ironhide a few yards away rummaging in one of the crates. She pulled her legs up, and lay on her stomach to peer over the edge of the Autobot sized crate. Trigger waddled up to the edge, and peered over as well.

"Oh!" Amy started. "Hello." She stared down at the annoyed dark-haired girl standing below.

She was skinny, wore an orange tank top under a jean jacket, and a short skirt. She had her arms folded, and was tapping on foot irritated until she saw Amy peer over the edge of what she had assumed was a wall.

"I didn't know any other humans were here!" Amy called down, surprised to see the girl. "I'm Amy Miller!"

The girl below looked a bit surprised to see a girl about her age, and what looked like a giant eyeball staring down at her. "I'm...Mikaela," She said cautiously. "Mikaela Banes."

"Okay." Amy nodded.

Mikaela looked forward, and rubbed her neck; looking up hurt.

Amy drummed her fingers against the side of the crate, and whistled something without a tune.

"Hey, can you get down?" Mikaela called, not looking up.

Amy glanced at Ironhide then back at the brunette. "No," She shook her head. "But I don't really want to. I'm waiting for someone."

Mikaela raised an eyebrow, and paused rubbing her neck.

"It was nice meeting you." Amy scooted back away from the edge of the crate.

Trigger leaned forward farther, and started to teeter.

Amy watched the little robot.

Trigger made an "oooh" noise as it teetered off the edge then wailed as it fell a good 4 feet.

Amy gasped, and crawled to the edge of the crate. Trigger floated back up to eye-level with Amy, its head flaps fluttering madly as it kept itself aloft.

Jazz approached, and saw Amy staring wide-eyed at Trigger.

"Hey Jazz!" Mikaela called to the silver Autobot as she trotted away toward Ironhide.

Jazz gave a small nod then looked back at Amy as he approached.

Amy reached out to Trigger, the small robot just out of arms' reach. "Get... over...here." Her voice strained.

"C'mon, tiny." Jazz grabbed Trigger, tossed it to Amy then picked up Amy from the crate.

Amy settled in Jazz's hand, her legs tucked under, and Trigger held tightly against her chest. She looked up at Jazz, who looked straight ahead.

Autobot faces are extremely hard to read, they don't have muscles to look tense, but Amy could see it in the way he kept his eyes forward, and how the silver Autobot was silent, she could feel his intensity hovering in the air.

It was only after Jazz had transformed, and left the base, Amy nestled in the front passenger seat, eyes fixed on the radio did the human girl say something.

"What's wrong?" Amy murmured.

"Nothin'." Jazz said simply.

"It is not nothing, something is bothering you." Amy insisted. She sat forward in the seat, and pretended to be interested in the radio, but when she tried to turn the radio on, it stayed silent. Amy sighed. "Please, talk to me."

"I thought I was irritatin'." Jazz said a little snappier than he'd meant to.

Amy frowned. "You are irritating, and not saying anything is not helping your case any!" She exclaimed.

Jazz's engine revved angrily.

Amy stuck her tongue out at the radio then looked out her window. She folded her arms, and slouched.

"Sorry." Jazz mumbled.

Amy glanced at the steering wheel. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

Jazz stayed silent.