Oneshot - Disagreement

[silberstreif]

Beta: Starfire 201
Continuation: IDW comic
Genre: Drama
Characters: Jazz, Optimus Prime
Wordcount: 592

Summary: Jazz killed a human and Optimus is not happy at all about it. The saboteur on the other hand doesn't really seem to care - at first.

Disagreement

The disappointment in Prime's blue optics would have moved lesser mechs. As it was, the Head of Intelligence and SpecOpcs, Jazz, only stared back coldly, waiting for his verdict.

"You know you have to be punished," said Optimus as he looked up from the detailed report in front of him. Prowl had compiled it and as always, it held everything he needed to know.

"Yeah." Jazz shrugged.

Optimus Prime frowned, his disappointment deepening. "Don't you care at all?"

"Should I?" asked the spy bored.

The indifference made Optimus angry. "You shot a human!"

"Yep, Ah did," confessed Jazz easily and crossed his arms. "It was a reflex, nothing more."

As if that made it better. "You killed him," accused the Prime. "Even though I have forbidden you all from harming any humans."

"Optimus," said Jazz with a familiarity that only few had towards him – and in moments like these, Optimus cursed even those few. "They don't like us. They are attempting to harm us. And soon they will succeed and your order still stands?"

"Yes," was the succinct answer that left no doubt at all. "They're innocents."

"No, they're not," countered the saboteur coolly. "But what's more important, we're not. If they attack, Ah'll always defend myself and my friends."

Optimus' optics narrowed with the spark of true anger. "Not if that means killing them."

For a long, long moment Jazz said nothing, just observed his angered Prime. Then, he said slowly: "Yes, I will. Everyone here will. We're soldiers, that's nothing we can change."

"You can and you will!" ordered Optimus loudly. "Once you didn't think about killing everyone. Once you would've thrown yourself in front of Bee and evaluated the situation, before shooting and killing!"

"Once," agreed Jazz. "When I was a civilian. But I changed."

"Then change again."

Jazz's visor darkened, and as he spoke there was an even match to Prime's ire in his voice: "I – no, we all heeded your call, formatted, changed our programming, ourselves for you and your cause. For your beliefs! We can't forget what we have learned." The whisper of regret touched Jazz's face, and then vanished as if it had never been there.

Optimus gritted his denta, wanting to yell. "No one asked you to forget, I only ask you not to harm any humans."

"And I tell you that if they attack we will. Because fighting is now our core function," Jazz growled, hands turning into fists. "We're bloodied, ruthless soldiers just like the Decepticons now, Optimus. Whether you like it or not!"

He waited for an answer, but Prime's optics just became colder. In that moment, Jazz read a new emotion that shook him to the core – contempt. He wanted to scream, instead he hissed:

"You might look at us as if we're monsters now." His hip touched the desk and then he leaned forward, until he was optic to optic with Prime. "But never forget again that we're your monsters." He searched for something in these suddenly foreign optics that had widened further with every word. "You created us, Prime."

Optimus flinched.

Jazz drew back satisfied. "Don't abandon us for the humans."

Some might say it was a plea. Some that it was a warning.

Jazz just waited an astrosecond and then relaxed with a smirk as if nothing had happened. "I'll be in the brig if you search for me, OP," he said with a wink, turned and walked out.

Optimus slumped behind his desk and buried his face in his hands.

Comments

[wicked3659.livejournal.com]

Really powerful read!

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

[neverminetohold.livejournal.com]

I'm ashamed to admit that I have no IDW knowledge whatsoever anymore, even worse for recent developments in the comics. Nevertheless, the basic conflict here is the same that must come up in every war at one point, so I had no problem following the fic.

Jazz really makes a powerful argument - they, the Autobots, changed from civilians to soldiers in following their Prime, in his beliefs and the battles that became necessary to make them come true despite the opposing force of the Decepticons. It might have been necessary, but once you are a soldier - especially here, with the concept of a core program - you remain one. In that sense, Jazz and the other Autobots are truly Optimus' monsters and Jazz was always more pragmatic while their Prime strove for his lofty ideals...

I just wonder what the human used, which weapon, to attack the Autobots. If it was one that could not even have made a dent in a bots plating, I might understand Optimus anger more...

Hah, as always, you make it hard to take a side because you depict both so well - you know how I love that! If you ever take prompts, I would like to see this kind of situation brought to boil, where Jazz (and Prowl?) take over and abandon Optimus because he can't do what needs to be done to end this war once and for all... ^.^

Oh, and a little typo I spotted: observed is/his angered Prime. Plus, you have two dots in a row in Jazz's second to last dialogue line.

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

I love the IDW comics, I'm collecting the volumes. ^^ The recent developments are especially interesting, because the distinction between Cons and Autobots becomes greyer and greyer.

Innocence lost here, and that's something noone can regain. :/ But yeah, I totally agree with you. OP just sees his ideals, but reality demands often something different.

The human used Megatron's gun. So the shot would've been deadly for all we know.

I want to really give ever character its own motivations. :) And in such questions easy answers are just too easy...

Thanks for the typo, I'll change it. ^^

[neverminetohold.livejournal.com]

Gah, don't tell me something about gray and grey morality, or I'll be tempted to buy them all - again! °_0" I just talked myself out of it >_<

Then I think Jazz was totally justified. Humans would have been allowed to shoot each other under those circumstances too; it's called 'self--defense,' Optimus.

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

Buy, buy, buy... *whispers* Oh did I mention that Starscream went neutral and is now the ruler of Cybertron exiling Autobots and Decepticons alike? XD

On the other hand I have read about your mana collections which is just impressive. I barely have 50 mangas. O.O

:) You say it. That was the strange thing in my mind too about the scene.

[neverminetohold.livejournal.com]

I won't, I won't, I WON'T!!! I need all my money this month for various video games and my prescription dose of mangas ;)

...sounds like an awful lot of character development Starscream went through. Nice!

Well, I've been into mangas for a bit more than 10 years now. I figure it is pretty natural that they have started to pile up. But I buy less now than I did in the beginning. Mostly yaoi and BL, some thought provoking ones, and some fantasy/sci-fi.

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

The video games aren't running away and neither are the mangas... ;) Which series are you following at the moment?

Oh it is. Kind impressed by the personal and emotional development they allow him to finally make. He's moving away from Megatron and really trying to be his own (powerhungry, merciless) mech.

Definitely natural. :) I was only into mangas for 6-7 years and they were piling. ^^ Even though that was the time were you could easily find them online... oh I miss Onemanga. Mangafox never was the same to me.
Some SciFi mangas are really something else. Very thought provoking, some also very scary.

[neverminetohold.livejournal.com]

True, but I really WANT those video games like there's no tomorrow! °_0 Besides, they cost about 59 EUR each and two are still coming (Assassin's Creed 4 & Batman: Arkham Origins; before that was Beyond: Two Souls), so it's not as if I have much money left ^.^"

Still too many to list them here LOL But some are: Silver Diamond, Ikigami, Naruto, Acid Town, Devils & Realist, Karneval, Shiki, Blue Exorcist, Vassalord etc etc.

I'm alright with Mangafox. I only use it because of the BL one shots they have and to take a peek before I decide whether or not to buy a manga that comes out in Germany, not for actual reading of a series online. Except for Naruto, I read the recent chapter there because we are so far behind :(

I personally liked Blame. Recently, I have not read many sci-fi mangas...

[cmdrtekk.livejournal.com]

Awesome.

Thank you for sharing.

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

Thanks for commenting!

[pjlover666.livejournal.com]

*purr* I love this. I will keep LOVING this every time I read. It's so powerful and Jazz here.. *purr* I don't understand how OP can't SEE how wrong he is. Jazz makes solid arguments yet Optimus still refuses to accept -- either he can't see anything wrong (which scary in itself - he could end up sacrificing all for the humans) or he knows Jazz's right bus stubbornly refuses to admit it :(
I am curious what Prowl thinks of the matter :)

[silberstreif.livejournal.com]

The mysteries' of OP's blindness... especially considering that they have met sentient organic races regularly. Why the humans though? What makes them so special?
I'm not sure if he can't see anything wrong here, or if he refuses to admit it... I tend to think more like the first one. He's Optimus, so benefit of doubt.
Prowl... mmh. He would totally side with Jazz and reprimand him for openly going against Prime. Remind me to send you a few pics from my new comics, they have some great scenes between them.