Chapter Text
The light of the second moon hit the ground below him with a light touch. It spread into a puddle on the tile floor, perfect and unmoving. Right before the smoke from the bomb he’d set off revealed an interlocking pattern of lasers designed to keep ordinary mechs out of the grand estate. Thankfully Jazz never really considered himself an ordinary mech.
Mentally he calculated he could make it down in 3 jumps, 4 to be safe, but no more than 6. Jump number two did look risky but fortunately, Jazz also wasn’t the type of mech to be afraid of a little risk. Otherwise he probably wouldn’t be here in the first place.
He made the first drop through the skylight no problem, grabbing onto the railing of the indoor balcony. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed this wasn't more of a challenge. Private estates usually had more security but this mech apparently went with the bare minimum. Some mechs just had that kind of shanix, the kind that let you not care too much about you valuables. Or more often, just the right kind of arrogance. He sort of wished he could have ended this last job on a high note, but he should be grateful it at least made things easier for him. Still, what a way to go out.
Jazz made the final jump down to the tiled floor bellow. His modified peds making as little noise as possible, map already pulled up on his HUD. Honestly if these rich mechs didn't want to get robbed they should stop leaving their floorplans up on real estate websites… But two turns to the left-
And there it was.
Various mismatched artifacts and shiny trinkets lay just beyond his reach. Gold plated discs, old tablets, even a rustic old gear that had clearly once been someone's internals which was… morbid to say the least. Jazz's reflection in the glass cases stared back at him, just tempting him to try it. Really could anyone blame him for taking the bait?
Hacking into the digital security system wasn't hard. Honestly the fancy digital plaque giving information about each artifact just made it easier. Patched in, Jazz waited for his program to run it's course when suddenly there was a glint in the corner of his optic.
Turning his helm around he spotted a pale blue crystal shard wrapped by a simple cord to create a pendant. It was… unremarkable compared to everything else in the room. Really not even worth a mention. Still something about it caught Jazz’s attention in a way few things ever did.
But he wasn’t getting paid to stare at pretty things.
His program had run it's course and the locks of every case clicked open as Jazz pulled up the list of artifacts he was to retrieve. He sighed in relief when he realized the internal gear was not one of them. Grabbing each one, he carefully slotting them into his subspace. None of it looked that interesting to him to be completely honest. But some mech was always willing to pay for something. Besides, these were requested which meant a higher payout for Jazz.
And yet, just before he left the room the glimmer on the other end of the room caught his attention again. Maybe he should just leave it alone, it wasn't even on the list, but he was already in front of the pendant’s case before he could second guess himself. He didn’t even necessarily want it. Jewelry was never really his thing but Jazz was set. This was coming with him. Besides the thief wouldn’t mind a little extra shanix on the side. Maybe he'd sell it. Or maybe he wouldn’t, maybe he just wanted it. Either way it was now being lifted from its stand, glittering in Jazz’s low headlights.
Maybe this job wasn't such a bad swan song after all.
~~~
After setting the stolen goods on the table in front of him, mentally noting everything, Jazz fell backwards onto the couch he called a berth. His optics landed on a small crack in the celling, a barely visible inky dark sky stared back at him. This would be one of the last nights he stared at the celling of his 'apartment'. The abandoned building wasn't exactly cozy, but it'd had been his home for longer than most places. He tried to tell himself he wouldn't miss it, a small part of thought he might.
He pulled up his old hacked datapad that had belonged to some other rich mech. Someone that could easily afford another one. Shuttles off world were expensive but once he sold this latest haul to his fence he'd be home free. Jazz had always wanted to visit Velocitron so maybe he'd go there. As long as he wasn't on Cybertron he'd be fine. He'd be fine wherever he went but he'd rather make things easier on himself. He didn't really feel like sticking around only to be dragged into a war he didn't really care about. Besides why should he miss it? What had Cybertron or it's people ever done for him? He had narrowed it down to 4 flights when his optics finally flickered out.
A surreal echo sent shivers down Jazz's spine. He found himself creeping down another dark hallway, one that he had known long ago. He was smaller now, his steps less practiced. He had no experience or mods to help him back then, only youthful determination. His small servo felt the wall beside him, noting the familiar bumps and cracks in the imperfect paint.
The echoes were tangible now as Jazz recognized the voice of his sire. An eerie light spilled into the hallway. He stopped before he touched it, afraid of breaking even it's simple stillness.
"Are you sure?" A flicker, his sire had moved. Jazz could see his shadow now, he was talking to someone. Someone not in the room. "No- no you said that it would work this time."
The doctor again. Jazz couldn't remember how he knew that?
"Slag you then because you said the 'outcome looked favorable' and I just… Fine Doc then let me ask you since you know everything,"
The shadows seemed taller. They spiraled upwards and stained the wall with an unnatural lack of light.
"How"
They reached out to him. For his arms, his faceplate, his optics. Where was his visor? Where was he?
"can he live"
He spun around, the shadows dropping away from his form like fine silk. They engulfed the hallway behind him, flowing softly, quietly away. No doubt searching for another victim. Something had repelled them away, but Jazz felt the world suddenly becoming a lot less clear than before.
"like this?"
Somehow he knew. He'd been the lucky one.
"How can he live like this?"
A voice startled him out of recharge. Concerning considering he lived alone. Even more concerning considering he never told any of his associates where he lived. Jazz didn't online his optic's yet, waiting for the voice to speak again. It didn't for a while and he silently grabbed a dagger from a subspace pocket. If this was an attack, he wasn't going down without a fight.
He couldn't hear the mech's ped steps. Was this a thief? Did the mech have similar mods? If so they were good. Even Jazz's advanced audials couldn't pick up the mechs vents. Still, a mech with that kind of mods should know better than to talk during a job. Jazz couldn't help but scoff at this amateur.
"He certainly isn't planning on keeping all of this is he?"
Oh frag no- the mech was looking to steal his haul wasn't he? Jazz couldn't let that happen, that was his ticket off this rotten world. He lept up with a practiced grace and a desparete edge, ready to strike from behind when suddenly he paused.
In front of him stood a mech with his back turned to Jazz. The black and white paint job made him stand out starkly in the drab room. His police officer markings looked straight out of a old holovid detective drama. Doorwings bobbed up and down as he looked over the Jazz's haul from earlier that night. But there was something else-
He reset his optics once, then twice. Either this was one wicked night flux or…
Or the mech he was was staring at was see through?
Sudddenly the translucent mech turned towards him, not even seeming to care that Jazz had caught him. He could see a Praxian looking red crest on his white helm now. "Hmmm," He looked Jazz up and down, in a definitely judgemental way. "This criminal also seems to have poor sleeping habits… I wonder what he’s looking at?"
"Uh mech- who the frag are you?"
For the first time in this entire encounter, the strange see through mech's face took on an expression other than callous judgement. No the mech seemed suprised that he'd been caught, as if he wasn't the one that woke Jazz up. How did he even get in here? It was the 4th floor and there was only one door. Jazz was pretty tired but he was a light sleeper. He would have heard it open right?
"I- I'm sorry come again?"
"I said who the FRAG ARE YOU?"
The mech's optics widened even farther, farther than Jazz thought was possible. It almost seemed like Jazz had just shattered this whole mech's worldview. He'd feel bad but then again this guy had broken into his place.
"You-" the strange mech seemed to struggle to find the words, "You can see me?"
…
Was this guy messing with him?
Jazz raised the knife up, deciding enough was enough and he wanted this mech gone. "GET THE FRAG OUT OF MY HOUSE!" he shouted lunging at the strage mech who almost made a motion to stop him until-
Jazz went through him.
Not in a stabby gory way like he expected either.
No Jazz had just gone through the mech as if he was nothing more than smoke. As if he wasn't really there.
He gripped the hilt of the knife trying to fight off the shutter that went through his entire frame.
What. The. Frag.