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The Decepticons came into the city for more energy, raiding a substation. The Autobots were alerted and immediately turned out to stop them. The Decepticons did not care that some humans got trapped around them as they fought the Autobots, but the Autobots tried to contain their fire on the Decepticons alone. In the end the Decepticons gave up and ran. The Autobots helped clear up the mess and free any trapped humans. One group of humans were found to be injured and had to be taken to hospital.
A news crew at the scene returned to their station to review the tape of the attack for the news. It was then that they stumbled upon something very unexpected. Because of the nature of their discovery they decided to take it to the authorities before releasing it. They in turn saw the seriousness of the situation. Calling up an army unit, they headed to Autobots headquarters.
Prime and the others came out to see what was going on. The Police chief in the lead car stood up. "Optimus Prime, we have come to take one of you away."
"One of us?"
"Yes. We have been convinced that one of you is responsible for harming three humans during the last Decepticon attack."
"But how?" asked Prime.
"All that will be revealed at the subsequent trial. Now we demand you allow us to take the one called Cliffjumper in to custody."
"Cliffjumper?"
Amongst the Autobots all looked at the small red one who was shocked to hear it was him they had come for. He moved forward slowly until he stood beside his leader. He looked up to him.
"Go with them Cliffjumper, we will see what all this is about soon enough.”
Cliffjumper did not say a word as he turned himself over to the humans. They surrounded him as he took his auto mode and they all rolled for the city. Once there he was made to enter an old bank vault which would serve as a jail cell for him. He had no idea of what he had done.
But the others were soon learning all about it as the story was played on the news. Three humans had been caught in and could not escape the Decepticon attack. They were close to where Starscream was defending himself. They came to the scene which had brought all the problems.
The scene showed Cliffjumper firing, the camera shot moved over, a shot hit the wall above, it fell onto the humans. Then the Decepticons retreated. At the end of the story, they told how Cliffjumper had been arrested. Then a story came out just as they finished. One of the three humans had died from his injuries. The watching Autobots were stunned.
"What will all this mean to Cliffjumper," asked Jazz.
"Not anything good."
"I can't believe it was him," spoke up Spike.
"But we all saw it with our own eyes," said Brawn.
The authorities decided to have the trial the very next day. People were angry about what had happened. They informed Prime and he agreed, they had to regain the full trust of humans by cooperating fully.
Before the trial Cliffjumper was shown the tape by Spike who was allowed in to advise him. Cliff was so certain that he had been careful. He was so shocked by it. "What could happen to me, Spike?" he asked finally.
"Well, if you are found guilty... I'm, not sure, Cliffjumper."
"But I have killed a human," he said before he went silent.
Nothing Spike could do could get him to talk. He had accepted the tape as the truth; he had hurt and killed a human.
He stood calmly as they placed chains on him and walked him to where the trial would take place. Spike returned to headquarters determined to find a way to save Cliffjumper, as he really felt it might end up that way.
The charges were read out, the worst being manslaughter. Before it went any further, Cliffjumper stood up and pleaded guilty.
They accepted his plea, but all that remained was a sentence. Imprisonment would not help really, and the public wanted to see that something was done. They demanded a death penalty. And in the end, that was the decision.
Now came the time for the Autobots to prove that they were on the side of right. Only they could destroy one of their own. This information was conveyed to Prime. Sadly he had to agree. Cliffjumper was guilty and his fate decided.
The rest of the Autobots agreed too, they could not change what had happened, they too had to accept.
They came to the arena where the sentence would be carried out. Cliffjumper's personality component would be removed and then his structure would be destroyed.
Prime explained it to him before the vast crowd.
"I only hope you can forgive me, Optimus. Once again my impulses have gotten me into trouble. But I accept what must happen. It will restore the human’s faith in the Autobots. Thank Spike for me... I am ready."
With a nod from the authorities, Wheeljack and Ratchet approached Cliffjumper and removed his personality component, giving it to Prime; they had replaced it with a charge. All moved back and a few minutes later the charge went off and Cliffjumper was destroyed. The crowds dispersed and the Autobots collected what was left of their friend to take back with them. These were buried outside headquarters with a memorial to him.
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Things were quiet after that; the loss did affect them all. But they soon came to notice that it affected Spike very much. He didn't seem to participate anymore. He seemed to spend a lot of time on his own or with Teletran One. Later when they began to regroup and get on with things, they began to wonder about Spike.
Bumblebee really noticed that something was very wrong with his human friend. He found him sitting at Cliffjumper's memorial.
"Spike, can I sit down?" he asked.
"Sure Bumblebee."
"Ah Spike, I have to ask, is everything all right with you?"
Spike looked up at his Autobot friend. "No Bumblebee, everything's not all right. I failed Cliffjumper."
"No you didn't, Spike, you did more than any of us for him."
"I failed him and I can prove it, but..."
"Prove it? Prove what?"
"I can prove Cliffjumper was innocent.”
That surprised Bumblebee. "How?"
"The tape. Teletran found it. Come, I'll show you." They went off to Teletran's control room. "Teletran, play the tape for me again and show your conclusions."
The tape played, it showed Cliffjumper firing, then it was changed. Teletran showed Cliffjumper's line of fire; it did not hit the wall. The trajectory of the shot was wrong, the shot that hit the wall came from above, only a flyer could have fired it.
"So you can see why I failed Cliffjumper."
Spike walked away. Bumblebee had no idea what to do. The tape meant Cliffjumper had been put to death for something he had not done. That he had believed he had done it and blamed himself. And now Spike was blaming himself for not saving him, even if he couldn't at the time.
Bumblebee decided to leave it to Spike, as to what to do with what they had found.
Spike tried to make a decision, but he found it so hard. He spent more and more time alone at Cliffjumper's memorial.
Then one day another of the Autobots approached him. But this one sent a shiver down his spine. He turned at his name, "Oh, it's you, Bluestreak. You gave me a fright. You sounded so much like..." his voice trailed off as his eyes fell down on Cliffjumper's name.
"I'm sorry Spike, I forget that sometimes. He, Teletran and I all share the same type of voice synthesizer."
Spike looked up. Yes that was true, "That's okay."
"Everyone has been worrying about you, Spike. We know that something is wrong and we want to help."
Spike stood up. "I know and it's been hard for me to do this, but I think everyone should know what I have found out."
Bluestreak followed Spike back inside, sending out a call to all the Autobots to join them in the control room with Teletran One. With all assembled, he asked the computer to show the tape and their findings. There were gasps when it was revealed that Cliff was innocent. Yet none seemed more shocked than Prime himself. He moved off alone.
Spike took the tape from Teletran One. Bumblebee came to stand beside him. "I'm taking this to the authorities. I want Cliffjumper's name cleared." He got into Bumblebee and they drove off.
Prime followed them out, a few moved to ask him things, but Wheeljack persuaded them to leave their leader alone.
There had been times when Prime regretted how things had worked out. But none seemed to hurt him so much as this. He had agreed to have one of them destroyed, because to do otherwise would turn the humans against them. Now to find that Cliffjumper had never been guilty... And Cliffjumper had gone along because he had come to believe that he was, even when he thought he had been careful.
Spike presented his findings to the authorities who were also forced to agree that Cliffjumper was not the guilty party. But what could they do now. Cliffjumper had been destroyed. At that very moment Prime entered. "We could rebuild him and if you gave us back his personality component, we could bring him back. But you would have to tell the rest of the population that he is innocent of the crimes you charged him with."
"Well, we'd have to see what the people make of it first. Then we will decide," said the President.
Prime agreed, but Spike tried to argue. "No, he didn't do it. He deserves to have his life back."
"Spike, we will abide by the President's decision."
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It seemed to take an agonizing long time for Spike. Wheeljack had gotten the plans for Cliffjumper from Teletran and Teletran had also copied his voice synthesizer for Cliffjumper. Everything was ready. Everything but the President's decision. It all hung on that. Cliff's life and reputation could be restored.
Prime was finally called to the President's office to get the decision. He returned to headquarters where all awaited to hear what happened.
"The President will make the evidence public and therefore clear Cliffjumper's name." The Autobots cheered as Prime paused. "But... he has decided that he will not allow us to resurrect our friend."
Many Autobots were stunned and confused. Spike spoke for all, "What! But why! It isn't fair, he is not guilty."
"The President said the people would fear us more to know we could be resurrected in such a way."
"But that's only because of the personality component being removed. They know we can die, don't they?" said Wheeljack.
"We said we would abide by the President's decision, I disagree too, but that is all we can do." Prime left them to mutter amongst themselves.
Spike stormed out and went down to Cliffjumper's memorial. He sat there staring at his friend's name. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.
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Later however, he returned to his room and sat down and wrote. He wrote about the Autobots in general, he wrote about what they had done for mankind. He wrote about his friends, those he had become close to. Then he wrote about Cliffjumper. How brave and impulsive he could be, always taking chances, considering his small size. And how much he missed his friend. How he had so easily allowed himself to be destroyed without fear. And how it was so unfair that he had died believing himself guilty when he really was innocent. Then to finish it off he wrote about the President's decision and why he thought it was wrong, then he gave his story to a reporter friend and let it go. It was all he could do.
The friend ran the story and did not change a word of it.
A week later Prime called the Autobots to him. They had no idea what he had called them for.
"I have called you all together to hear some important news. As you know I recently had to abide by a decision by the President, much to our sorrow. But it seems that the President has been forced to change his mind after a news story brought public pressure to bear on him. Spike," he turned to the young man, "It seems you have been able to change the decision. We will be allowed to rebuild Cliffjumper and he will personally return his personality component."
The room erupted in cheers. Stunned Spike could only smile. A little later he was at Cliff's memorial. It would be so good to see his friend again.
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The small shiny red Autobot was sitting in the centre of the arena on a bench in robot mode. Everything was ready. The crowds were there to witness it all. They cheered when the President gave the component to Prime and he in turn gave it to Ratchet and Wheeljack. A hush fell as the pair approached Cliffjumper and opened the compartment where it went. Wheeljack set it in place and positioned it right, then pushed it in. Slowly Cliff's eyes lit up. His metal body twitched and seemed to be working.
Wheeljack moved back to him. "Cliffjumper, can you hear me?" No answer. He checked the Autobot over, everything seemed all right. "Cliffjumper?" Still nothing, perhaps they had not connected everything right. He moved to open his friend up further, but then his arm came up and stopped him.
"What is happening?” asked Cliff in slow words.
"You're alive, Cliffjumper."
"But I shouldn't be."
Spike came over then, "Yes you should. We re-built you Cliffjumper, when it was proven that you were innocent."
"Innocent?"
"Yes, you didn't hurt anybody. I have so much to tell you. Will you get up so we can go home."
Gingerly he raised himself and got off the bench. The crowd cheered and the celebration began. Everyone was very happy. Everyone except Cliffjumper.
Finally they all got back to headquarters.
Prime said a lot to the small red Autobot before he left him. Jazz, Bluestreak and Bumblebee were the last to say goodnight to him. But Spike stayed to the end. He had explained all that had happened since the sentence had been carried out. They wound up at the memorial which had not been dismantled because in a way part of Cliff was still there.
Cliff had been silent through the whole evening's events, now he stood staring down at his name.
"How do you feel Cliffjumper?" asked Spike still excited by it all.
"I thank you and the others for all you did, really I do. But I feel... I wish you had left me here."
Spike was stunned, "What! Why?"
"I will not be of much use anymore," he began, "I will always be thinking that if I get into a fight am I hurting someone, could I hurt someone. I'll be being too careful to help anybody. In fact, I don't think I could fight anymore.”
Spike didn't know what to say. Cliffjumper turned to go and Spike didn't stop him.
The next morning Cliffjumper went to see Prime alone. He told him what he had told Spike. Prime however, took a positive tack. "Then I suppose you can help Teletran One."
Cliffjumper was surprised a little, then he nodded and left.
Prime told the others what had happened.
"It's a little understandable," said Jazz, "But he seems so down because we resurrected him. He hasn't showed any happiness at all to any of us."
"I feel like I've done something very wrong," said Spike.
"You saved his life, Spike," said Prime, "But the last thing he remembers is bring put to death. He believed he deserved it. He had been ready for it. No, let him be, let him find his own way as long as we make him feel useful, he may come back to us fully."
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Spike watched the Autobot hoping he would see him come back to himself. He helped Teletran One all of the time, but he wouldn't watch any fights the others got into. And if another got hurt, he would watch from a distance, making sure they'd be okay, then he'd leave.
They never dismantled his memorial, because he spent most of his own time there, they tried once, but he stopped them. It was one of the few times he asserted himself.
Spike felt he wasn't the same anymore and it was his fault. He left headquarters and did not return. The Autobots noticed his absence and asked his father. Though he made the excuse that his son was busy studying, his eyes fell on Cliffjumper.
Prime went to see Spike. "Is there anything wrong?"
"No, I just decided I had better get back to studies. I might need them in the future."
"We thought you had a place with us." Spike turned away, he couldn't lie to Prime.
"How is Cliffjumper?" he asked.
"The same," answered Prime. "In fact the two of you are acting exactly the same."
Spike turned and looked up, "What!"
"You're both moping around."
Spike nodded, "I know, but I just couldn't believe it wasn't my fault."
"I told you before. You saved him. You found out he was innocent and fought for his life. It is not your fault. Now I'm working on something to help him, but I want you to come back where you belong."
Spike smiled and nodded and went back with Prime.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" asked Spike.
"Not yet," said Prime, "But I'll let you know."
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About a week later the Autobots were lured away from Headquarters by their enemies the Decepticons. Only Cliffjumper was there when Starscream entered and approached Teletran One. He seemed about to fire.
"Stop!" Starscream turned and looked at Cliffjumper.
"Oh, it's just you, the dead one."
"I'm not dead."
"You are from what we've heard. You can't fight since they resurrected you, can you?" Starscream turned back to the computer.
"I said stop," warned Cliffjumper.
Starscream laughed.
Cliff fired at him. The Decepticon stopped laughing. Cliff fired again and Starscream ran. He was fleeing the HQ when the others returned. They laughed to see him run.
"You defended our headquarters, Cliffjumper," Prime said.
"I did? Oh yes, I did, didn't I?"
The other Autobots made a big show of congratulating him.
"Did you arrange this?" asked Spike.
"Well, no. I did think we were being lured off and let it happen. But getting Starscream to attack, no. Getting a little confidence back to Cliffjumper, yes."
Cliff did come back to himself in a way, he could fight again, but he was not as impulsive as he had once been.
Spike found him at his memorial. "Why do you want to keep this?"
"The old me is down there still. With that body a part of me did die. I suppose I understand a little of what it's like to be human."
"You're more human than some humans I know," said Spike.
Cliff nodded.
"You do forgive me though?" continued Spike.
"Forgive you? What for? There was nothing to forgive. I know how much you fought for me. No Spike. None of this is your fault. But I was prepared for death. I had believed I deserved it. Now I know I didn't and you had faith in me, where I had lost mine. I just can't be the same anymore... Oh it's too hard to explain."
They both fell silent. Spike saw he couldn't help and left him.
"Hey Cliff, come out with me," said Jazz.
It was a beautiful clear day; Jazz just had to get out into it. He wasn't needed for any patrols or anything, it was his own time and he wanted his old friend along. Cliffjumper didn't get out much since he came back, but he took his old friend up this time. They rolled out into the desert. After a while they came to a stop at the top of a canyon. They remained quiet for a while.
"What's the matter, Jazz?" asked Cliffjumper finally.
"Oh I just wanted to talk with you.
"Why?"
"Because I want to understand."
"Understand what?"
"Why you've changed so much. A new body could not have done so much."
"I thought I had explained that."
"Bah," said Jazz, "You may have explained it, but I don't get it, don't you see."
Cliffjumper remained quiet. "I've tried to put it into words but... I wish everyone would stop asking me the same questions. I was destroyed, then resurrected. I didn't ask for any of it, it was just done to me. Other people made the decisions. I accepted one of them, but not the other. I never wanted the other. I don't want to be here."
"But why? That's what I want to understand."
"I feel like I don't belong here."
"But you do, Cliff. You are one of us. You're my friend. Don't you see? Don't you know how much we missed you! Oh, I give up." Jazz pulled back and sped off.
Cliff remained behind for a long time thinking on his friend’s words, then he drove back slowly. How could he make them understand something he didn't fully understand himself!
As he neared Headquarters, he could hear laser fire. There was a battle going on. He sped up as he got closer. It seemed the battle had been going on for some time. He saw that some of his friends were hurt. And he saw Megatron moving up on Prime unseen. He didn't think, he acted. He raced to a cliff above Megatron and jumped, landing on the Decepticon leader knocking him off balance. They both fell, but Cliff wound up going end over end down the hill further. He wound up upside-down trapped in rocks unable to transform.
A while later he found Prime standing over him. His leader gently picked him up and put him right again. "Thank you, Cliffjumper. You have once again proved why you got your name. And I am really glad to see you back to normal at last."
"Normal?"
"Yes, you dummy. You jumped in there without thinking. Could have got yourself destroyed, but that didn't matter, you were helping someone else. Just like the old days," said Bumblebee. "It's good to have you back."
Other Autobots echoed his words; he had acted the way he used to.
"See I told you," said Jazz, "We all missed you."
They headed back inside so the damaged ones could be seen to and to celebrate just a little. And this time all joined in.
Cliffjumper came out of his change and no longer regretted his resurrection. Little did he know then that he would outlive many of his friends, including Prime himself.