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Jazz walked into one of Iacon's innumerable SpecOps conference rooms with a datapad in one hand and a scowl on his face.
"So what do you think of him?" Whiplash lounged sideways in a chair intended for the average sized mech.
"What do I think of him?" Jazz repeated, staring at his boss. "This is a joke, right?"
"No joke. His ability to number crunch and forensic memory are going to be critical for this operation." And Whiplash was serious. "You don't have to like him. You just have to work with him and play your part."
Jazz tilted his helm back and groaned. "We have other agents who can number crunch and log forensic memories."
"Yes, and this is the one that's available," Whiplash said with a shrug. "You can refuse the mission if he's that unacceptable."
"Uh-uh, you know how much this one means to me," Jazz said. He flopped into a chair. "Fine."
"You are not my idea of an ideal conjunx either." The level tenor voice held a bit of tartness preceded the storm-gray Praxian with piercing ice blue optics. "However I do believe we are capable of acting as newly conjunxed to gain the needed evidence to dissect this trafficking ring."
Jazz tipped sideways in his chair and craned his helm around to see the mech standing in the doorway. "I am everyone's idea of an ideal conjunx," he said with a grin. "You know you're thrilled to score this gig."
Prowl declined to reply as he sat down and received a sharp look from Whiplash. "I won't gray him," he promised their boss. "I will not lose my perfect record over a personality clash."
"Like you could gray me."
Prowl drew a sharp intake and opened his mouth, but Whiplash's forceful reset of his vocalizer had him closing his mouth again.
"Jazz, don't antagonize," Whiplash reprimanded. "Prowl ... Thank you."
"You are no fun," Jazz pouted.
Prowl shrugged elegant smoke-shadowed doorwings. "I do not need to be. We have a mission to accomplish and despite our cover it does not require more than a passing knowledge of each other."
"Speaking of that," Whiplash said, drawing their attention. "While it's not required it is generally advisable for those playing lovers or conjunxed to actually share a berth. It's not an order, though there is a room prepared where each of your comparable kinks are set up to indulge in. Other than that, take the time before your flight to get to know each other beyond your files. You might surprise yourselves."
"Yeah, yeah," Jazz said, spinning a datapad on the table. "Thanks 'Lash, we'll figure it out."
"Reframing begins at fourth joor, ship out as soon as the paint dries," Whiplash reminded them both, straightening and slipping down from the chair. He gave each of them a look. "And behave."
"We're gonna get 'em, 'Lash, don't worry," Jazz said, while Prowl canted his doorwings in a salute.
As soon as Whiplash was gone, Jazz looked at Prowl. "So."
Prowl gave Jazz a level look. "How different is your cover from your default?"
"Right to business it is."