Shadowfire

Chapter 8

"You're sure you're ready for this?" My dad asked again, for seemingly the hundredth time.
"Yes dad I'm fine, I haven't spent all that time in the military for nothing" I groaned.

Someone had come up with the idea of using me as a liaison between the military and the Autobots due to my links with both the humans and cybertronians on the team. It was really just an honorary title, the 'bots and NEST didn't need a liaison, what they needed was a liaison between them and the government, which I wasn't. I was hoping that in time I could expand my unnecessary role to liaise between the humans, Autobots and Decepticons, which was actually needed.

"Hey, there's my favourite femme" Jazz greeted me as I walked into the NEST base, slinging an arm around my shoulders "we're about to get new alt forms? You want one?"
"Course I do, you know I love new alt forms"
"Hey Shadowfire" Ironhide said as Jazz and I arrived in a side hangar "I dibs the black Ford F-250 Black Ops"
"No fair!" I protested "I didn't even get a chance to look at the options"
"Your fault for being too slow, besides you can do all the looking you want" he smirked, stepping up to his chosen car, scanning it and transforming into his new alt mode. I studied the remaining options before deciding on a 2015 red mustang sports car. Jazz chose a silver corvette stingray.
"Wanna race?" He asked, revving his engine.
"You bet" the three of us tore out of the hangar and onto the jet landing strip. With all that time spent racing Screamer I'd quickly picked up how to play dirty, and was looking forward to winning.
"First to the end of the runway?" Jazz confirmed
"Go" I said, taking off, wheels spitting dust onto their bonnets amid their noises of surprise and protest. Pretty soon they were hot on my tail though and Hide began to creep up beside me. Trying to distract them I began sending high pitched sonic static over the commlink. Jazz swerved erratically before regaining control while Ironhide merely stalled for half a nanoclick before regaining his senses.
"You slaggin piece of scrap" he thundered. If I'd had my holoform engaged I would've smirked and flipped him the bird, but as it stood I simply had to settle for edging closer to him. He moved to the side to compensate and I weaved the other way, drawing closer to Jazz. He too moved to give me room until I went the other way, increasing my speed and edging closer and closer to the mechs either side of me until I was soon nearly running them off the road.
"Cut it out Shad-" Jazz tried to say before I cut him off by almost hitting him, he swerved violently and pulled off the road. By the time he's pulled back onto the tarmac he was too far behind to have a chance. I focused on Ironhide, determined to beat him. However, as he'd seen what had happened to Jazz he was forewarned, and refused to give me any room. Making up my mind I rammed my side into his, the jolt jarring my frame. Hide made an indignant noise with his horn and nudged me in return. I pushed into him again, and again be pushed back into me. The end of the track was drawing nearer and we were still neck and neck. I slammed my side into his, feeling the metal of both of our doors and frame dent and begin to crumple under the impact. He prepared to ram me in return but I suddenly disengaged, lurching forward and letting him slam into empty air. With nothing to take the impact he continued to drift to the side, wasting precious time correcting his course. I won by a nanoclick, Jazz pulling up behind us a klick later.

"Leaking lubricant! Are you mentally sound?" Ironhide exclaimed "what in Primus' name was that for?"
"You act like you've never played dirty to win before 'Hide"
"You've dented my chassis slag for brains"
"Oh come on it's not like Ratchet can't knock these few dings out"
"That's not the point, the point is that there was no need to dent me in the first place"
"Oh come on it was just for a bit of a laugh, Jazz certainly seems to have found the humour in it" it was true, Jazz had been laughing his aft off ever since he'd crossed the finish line. Ironhide made a rude gesture at me and transformed back into his alt form, spitting gravel in my face as he sped off. I frowned. He seemed upset but I didn't understand why, I hadn't done anything wrong, it was just a joke it's not like I'd permanently damaged him or anything.
"Come on we'd best get back inside" Jazz said, shaking his head in my direction before transforming and driving away.

::Shadowfire to Starscream::
::Responding. Is everything alright Shadow?::
::Everything's fine Screamer, just checking in. I upgraded my alt form and raced Ironhide and Jazz::
::Did you win?::
::Of course::
::Then what's the problem?::
::I dented Ironhide, he just about blew a gasket over it::
::I wouldn't worry about that, those Autobots are overly hung up on fair play, he'll calm down soon enough::
::You think?::
::Yeah, you've been spending too much time with us 'Cons we're rubbing off on you. Just try not to be too unscrupulous around the high wired::
::Thanks Screamer. I should probably disengage the comms now::
::No problem Shadow, remember to keep in touch when you can:: I disengaged my commlink and turned my attention back to what was going on around me.
"-tention? Shadow, Shadowfire, Shad!" I blinked my optics a couple of times, realising that I'd been ignoring Jazz.
"Sorry" I apologised.
"Who were you talking to?" He asked.
"No one" I said hurriedly, he looked at me like I had just tried to convince him that disturbing Ratchet wouldn't get you a wrench to the helm. I sighed as he studied me intently.
"Where exactly did you spend your time off?" I panicked, my face plate obviously revealing something of my reaction that gave him an answer.
"Somewhere we wouldn't approve of" he murmured, almost to himself. He was silent for a few more moments and I could practically see the cogs turning inside his helm. He studied me.
"Still no insignia" he crowed "you haven't chosen a side have you? Which means that you have to have Decepticon sympathies! You were with them weren't you?"
"What?" I forced a laugh "no that's preposterous" I protested, mind racing a thousand miles a minute, trying to figure out something to tell him to divert him from his line of thinking but he was having none of it.
"Your father!" He announced suddenly "we don't know who your father is" my optics widened and I took a step back, seriously contemplating transforming and getting the frag out of here. But that would just make him go to Lennox, or worse... Optimus.
"Give me a name Shadowfire" Jazz said sternly. I shook my helm rigorously, there was no way I was telling him I was the sparkling of the leader of the Autobots enemies. I knew he was going back in his memory banks, trying to find some hint, some clue, as to the identity of my male parental unit. And I could tell the second he found it, optics wide and vocal processors soft he all but whispered.
"Cybertron below me! Megatron didn't kill me at your command. There's no way he would spare the life of an Autobot unless someone he cared for demanded it. Son of a scrapheap your sire is slaggin' Megatron"
"Please don't tell anyone" he thought about this for a moment before nodding.
"I won't" he promised "after all it was because of you that I'm not with Primus right now" I breathed a sigh of relief. "You're not going to betray the Autobots though are you?" Jazz asked seriously.
"No of course not, I'm not on either side in this conflict, I just wish this tricursed war was over" I said emphatically. 
"Don't we all" agreed Jazz "come on Shad lets get back to base" I rolled my optics fondly at Jazz's nickname for me, finding myself not minding it.