Family | Tfp AU

Disaster Strikes

>>1 year later>>

The high school had let out early that day for teacher meetings, so the girls went home to hang out and Jazz and Bee went to pick up Smokescreen from the Tyger Pax Elementary school, which got out roughly half an hour later. When they got there, however, they immediately knew something was terribly wrong, because the school was surrounded by fire engines and fighters trying to get everyone out and put out the fire.

It took a frighteningly long time to find Smokescreen's teacher, who had lead her class of frightened 2nd graders to the far side of the field, but when they did they didn't see Smokescreen in the small crowd of children.

"Where's Smokescreen?!" Jazz demanded, starting to get worried about his baby brother. The teacher paled and quickly went through the roll call. Every student answered here, except Smokescreen.

"Oh my gosh!" The teacher exclaimed, putting her hands over her mouth, fear in her eyes. "He's not here!"

"Do any of you know where he might be?" Bee asked the children, trying not to scare them by seeming as worried as he felt. One of the boys in the back raised his hand.

"He went to the potty!"

Jazz and Bee looked at each other, now very worried about the boy.

"We gotta make sure the firefighters know he's still in there!" Jazz said seriously. Bee nodded and the two of them rushed over to the nearest group of firefighters.

"You better still have firemen in there," Jazz said as he and Bee came up to them.

"Get back, kid, this fire's hot," one of them said gruffly, pushing him back.

"You guys gotta send someone in there!"

"We can't, the fire's too dangerous to go in-"

"But my brother's in there!" Jazz growled angrily. The fireman blinked and turned to the man next to him.

He shook his head sadly. "We don't have the green light from the chief; we can't go in unless it's safe."

"It's a fire!" Bee retorted. "There's nothing safe about that!"

"He means safe enough for us to go in," the gruff man clarified, losing his patience just as fast as the boys were. "If we can't guarantee a fireman will make it out we can't go in."

"That's stupid!" Jazz shouted, taking a step toward the man, Bumblebee's grip on his arm the only thing holding him back. "How can you risk a kid before a firefighter?!"

"Jazz," Bee said firmly. "Forget it, these guys aren't gonna help; we need to find the chief!"

Jazz grudgingly allowed Bee to pull him away from the firefighters, and followed him back around to the front of the building to find the apparently only man who could really help. However, as they came around the side where the playground was, Bumblebee suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Jazz to smack into him.

"What are you-?"

"Ssh!" Bee hissed, putting a finger to his lips as he looked toward the building. They both were silent for a few tense seconds, before Jazz noticed what had caught his friend's attention. It sounded like coughing.

"Where is that coming from?" Jazz searched the side of the building for any open windows or other ways they would possibly be able to hear them coughing.

"There!" Bee pointed to a small window about six feet off the ground, which was broken. "I think that's it!"

The boys quickly went as close as they could to the wall and Jazz boosted Bee up to look through the window to see if he could see the person who was coughing, ignoring the smoke streaming out as best he could.