Runaway

Chapter Sixteen - Breaking Point

So, before you hop right in..

As I said on tumblr, this chapter has a pretty heavy hitting scene in it. It's not violent, just.. very sad. Just wanted to give you a heads up. The last two scenes (5 & 6) are both quite sad, but last scene is the worst (in my opinion), so easy to skip if you wish.

Let's just say, even the sturdiest glass can shatter if it gains too many cracks.

Hope you still enjoy.

///

Jazz snuck through the second level, listening as he went.

Discontents weren't hard to find. Ones that were actually willing to leave Polyhex was a little harder.

He didn't want to alert the wrong mecha that someone was trying to get mecha out of the city-state. So he had to be careful and listen well.

Discontent didn't always mean trying and willing to try to escape.

Often, the young mech knew, it was the quietest ones that were the ones who were most discontent. They were afraid to voice their discontentment.

Jazz had already found and directed several refugees to a place they could be safely be taken to be bridged out.

He was doing the infiltration and locating mecha. There was several other ops agents located elsewhere that would then take groups to another location to groundbridge to safety.

Prowl hadn't liked it that he'd been going solo, but he'd agreed with Jazz. He was the best bet since he knew the city-state better than any of the rest. And the others were needed where they were stationed.

And so, Jazz was going it alone. But he was pretty good at that kind of mission.

It also made it safer for his comrades if he was the one taking the more dangerous jobs.

///

A knock on the front door had Hotspot reaching for his rifle that stood propped up against the wall in his kitchen.

First Aid, now two vorns old, looked up at him from the floor among his toys.

Hotspot lifted a digit to his mouth and gave his son a reassuring look before creeping to a window to try and see who was at the door.

Whoever it was, was by themselves and small enough that he couldn't see them around the corner on the doorstep from his current view.

"Stay here. Be quiet like we practiced," the firefighter said through his bond with his son. He then headed towards the door, flicking the safety off on his rifle.

Upon reaching it, he unlocked and nosed the door open, weapon barrel out first.

"Who is it?" he asked gruffly, eyeing the short doorwinger warily.

The visored mech looked away from the gun barrel in his faceplate and up to meet the firefighter's gaze.

"Hotspot, Ah hope?" he said lowly with a nervous chuckle.

Hotspot frowned deeper. "Who wants to know?"

"Ah'm Jazz. Ring any bells?"

It did.

The Polyhexian glanced around warily as Hotspot lowered his rifle. "Mind if Ah come in?"

Opening the door just wide enough for the smaller mech to squeeze in, the firefighter nodded.