Nexus and Pocket Reality. Question Square, WakeJumper's and the Main Area. New Arrivals Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

It is dim, but not dark. The room is large and open, littered with heaps of all the dryer nommed socks and all the lost and found reject clothing ever lost. Between the rows of lockers benches sit, and on those benches still forms whir softly in their sleep, the smallest blue one teddy bear cuddled closely in the arms of the white and blue one.

Arcee: *processor starting to boot up again, bringing up memories of battle, chaos, smoke, fire... Then the femme is jerking awake with a yell*

Smokscreen: *yelps and sits bolt upright, dropping her in the process* *then stares down at her with stupefied amazement*

Arcee: *scowls at the younger mech for a few moments before she's getting to her feet* Where are we?

Wheeljack: Got me. Bulkhead's over here too.

Bulkhead: Thought I wasn't lettin' you mix the drinks anymore. *sits up groggily, holding his head*

Wheeljack: *amused snort* You said that the last time, too, Bulky.

Arcee: *moving to try and find if there are any other friendly faces* Has anyone seen Optimus or Ratchet?

Bumblebee: *startled horn honk from the other side of that one set of lockers*

Smokescreen: *looks like he just had a heart attack*

Arcee: *hurries to where Bumblebee is* Bumblebee? Are you alright?

Bumblebee: *in car mode, laying on his back on the set of benches over here* *urgent deedling* *Optimus threw him through a shining thing in the air! Raf was inside!*

Arcee: ... *quickly crouches to see if Raf is inside Bumblebee's passenger compartment, will also ping Bulkhead and ask him to come help set Bumblebee on his wheels*

Raf: *curled up on the inside of Bumblebee's roof, hugging a laptop computer which doesn't look like the one he had last time anyone saw the boy* *appears to be sound asleep, but if 'Bee's horn didn't wake him up...*

Arcee: *worried, will carefully reach to gently nudge Raf's shoulder*

Raf: *sluggish startle, and then a blinking of big brown eyes that look concussed* Huh?

Arcee: *gently* Easy, Raf. Bumblebee's upside down, but Bulkhead's coming to help. *very worried, especially since there doesn't seem to be any sign of Ratchet anywhere, and she's pretty sure Raf needs a medic*

Bumblebee: *if Arcee just moves Raf, he can transform*

Arcee: *nods her understanding, will carefully extract Raf from Bumblebee's interior* *to Bumblebee* Have you seen any of the others? Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen are where I woke up...

Bumblebee: *hasn't seen anything since Optimus threw him through the glowing spot in the air, and the spot was kind of star spangled, because Optimus hit him first!* *transforms, and then passes out from the exertion*

Bulkhead: *sound of concern as he stoops to look at the younger bot, but them meeps and straightens up to open his chest hatch* Meeks?

Arcee: *cradling Raf close to her chest as she moves to look*

Miko: Ugh... *looks a bit queasy*

Bulkhead: *worriedly* Are you okay? *offers her a hand to climb out on*

Miko: *as she moves to kind of fall on Bulkhead's hand* Don't ask me questions right now. *hand over mouth*

Bulkhead: *quick look around* Jackie... check that ladies' room for unfriendlies.

Wheeljack: On it. *moves to investigate, battle mask slipping into place*

Bulkhead: *then realizes something and shoots a look at Arcee's chest* Oh no.

Arcee: ... *quick scan of her own systems, fearing the worst*

Wheeljack: *sudden burst of laughter from the direction of the ladies' room*

Bulkhead: *head snaps around, and he pulls Miko close* Jackie?

Wheeljack: *coming back with something in her hands* Look what I found behind a crate. *so amused*

Jack: *apparently asleep, with a shirt tied around his head, and his hands tied together with a jock strap*

Miko: *forgets her discomfort* ...Who froshed Jack into a bondage victim?

Arcee: *moving to check on Jack, is still holding Raf*

Bulkhead: *blinking at his partner* Frosh?

Miko: *will explain what she's meaning*

Arcee: ... *careful nudge for Jack* Nice try, Jack.

Jack: ... Arcee? *felt himself being lifted, wasn't sure if it was safe for him to move*

Wheeljack: *cracking up even more now*

Bulkhead: *realizes something* Isn't that underwear on his hands?

Miko: *cracking up now*

Jack: *MORTIFIED*

Arcee: Let's get that off, then. *will carefully remove the jock strap from Jack's hands and the shirt from his head*

Jack: *hair is all mused up now, and he's got dark circles under his eyes* Where are we?

Bulkhead: *looks around* Dunno. *frown* And my GPS isn't working. *frown deepens* Why's Smokie being so quiet?

Arcee: ... *will offer Raf to Bulkhead and move to check on the younger mech*

Bulkhead: *quiet fussing as Miko gently cradles Raf and talks to him*

Smokescreen: *sitting where Arcee left him, though now he's hugging his knees and hiding his face against them*

Arcee: Smokescreen? *moving to touch the mech's shoulder*

Smokescreen: *flinches away from her, his head lifting to show wide, terrified eyes and two trails of tears*

Arcee: Smokescreen?

Smokescreen: *shakes his head and hides his face again*

Arcee: *quietly* Smokescreen, talk to me.

Smokescreen: *muffled static*

Arcee: *small frown* *to Bulkhead* I think Smokescreen needs a medic, too.

Bulkhead: *worried frown as he watches Wheeljack scope the place* I don't think there's one here. *acks as Jack steps on a pamphlet on the floor and wipes out*

Miko: Jack!

Raf: Jack?

Jack: Whoah! *'oofs' as he lands on his butt* What was that?

Wheeljack: *stoops to pick up the piece of flimsy that Jack wiped out on*

Miko: *excited* Bulky, that crate has a red cross on it.

Bulkhead: *distracted from Jack's plight* What? Oh hey!

Wheeljack: ... The scrap? 'Backwater 101'?

Bulkhead: Arcee, this is medical stuff for humans!

Smokescreen: *working on curling up in a ball*

Arcee: We need a medic for Bumblebee and Smokescreen though... *small frown*

Bulkhead: *frowns back at her* This is a start. Somebody open it!

Wheeljack: ...There's a hospital for bots on this map. *nope, not listening to anything around her right now. Not if it doesn't sound dangerous*

Arcee: Wait, what? *now paying more attention to Wheeljack*

Wheeljack: A bot hospital. *looks at something written on the edge of the map, then lifts her head and looks around with a frown. Quick step toward a narrow door, then opens it, and vanishes*

Bulkhead: JACKIE!

Miko: *unprintable*

Arcee: Wheeljack!

Jack: *meeps and moves to shield Raf*

Bulkhead: *looks to Arcee, his optics begging her to make sense of this and to tell him what to do*

Arcee: *cautiously moving to investigate the door*

door: *opens onto a peaceful, white-paved square with a few trees and some couches*

Arcee: ... *relays this to Bulkhead and the others, still looking around to see if she can spot Wheeljack*

Wheeljack: *over to one side, spreading surprised sulphur into the air* *no... wait. That's a dark-haired human woman*

blue-skinned man: *walking over and guiding a black-haired woman* *quietly* Miss, do you need assistance?

Wheeljack: *deep breaths as she starts getting dizzy from the force of her ire expression* This isn't *beeping* possible. *shows the man her hands*

woman: Vere you struck vis anysing?

Wheeljack: *sticks out her strong jaw, her eyes flashing* I didn't see anything.

woman: It might haf been an LOL... If it vas, sen se change vill vear off und you vill return to your normal form.

man: Did you get a pamphlet? *checking the bag that's on his belt*

Wheeljack: *calming down as she looks at the ground and then stoops and grabs the rumpled and battered pamphlet* You mean this thing?

man: *nods* There's a section about LOLs in it. It includes suggestions for remedies as well. *quick to sneak his arm around the black-haired woman's waist, because she looks like she could use the support*

woman: *quietly thanks the man* Sis ist your first trip to se Nexus, ja?

Wheeljack: *frowns* This says "Backwater".

woman: *nods* Ja. Sis Nexus is called das Stauwasser.

man: *gently* English, Bathilda.

Bathilda: *puzzled blink*

Wheeljack: *frowning at her pamphlet* Yeah. I only know German cusswords. *looks up* Howcome the translator didn' fix that?

man: *quietly* Sometimes, it doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

Wheeljack: *snorts* Figures. Look. I need this hospital. *points to the map*

man: *looks at the map, nods* WakeJumper's hospital. It's just down the Lost Highway, which is that way. *points toward where the Lost Highway begins* I suggest sticking to the side of the road, because there're races held on it fairly regularly.

Bathilda: *speaking up* Do you haf a PINPoint?

Wheeljack: Nope.

Bathilda: Ach! *fretting now* *to her companion* Senaiji, do you haf a spare?

Senaiji: Let me check. *will check his bag and retrieve what looks like a smartphone*

Wheeljack: *looks up* 'Cee, get back.

Arcee: What's the situation, Wheeljack? *will retreat if there's an obvious danger*

Wheeljack: *gives her a Look* You can't see the situation? You must need a doctor too.

Arcee: Besides that, Wheeljack. Did you find where there might be a medic?

Wheeljack: At that hospital. These guys are finding me transport.

Senaiji: *programming the spare PINpoint. Will offer it once he's got the coordinates for WakeJumper's hospital programmed in* WakeJumper can also do a house call, and he may very well insist upon it. He was trained by his reality's Ratchet, and he's also good friends with Hormah, who is also a doctor as well as a Pastor.

Wheeljack: *blank look* His reality? What?

Bathilda: It's in se pamphlet.

Wheeljack: *flips it over and hurriedly reads something other than the title and the map* Got it. *then startles as a wail comes through the door behind Arcee*

Arcee: *whirls around and hurries back through the door*

Bathilda: Ach! *fretting now*

Wheeljack: *grabs the PINpoint and stabs the green button with her thumb*

orange and black femme: *is very similar in tech and styling to the Autobots you're familiar with, Wheeljack* *startled squeak* Oh! Hi! Are you here to see WakeJumper or Nickle or are you looking for Lumen or me or are you trying to find Ironhide or Chromia?

Wheeljack: ...Lookin' for the pause. *blinks and puts a hand to her stomach as she turns green, the pamphlet crinkling more in the other hand as it's crunched against the PINpoint* Urk...

orange and black femme: *squeaks and bustles off to grab something. Returns moments later with a bucket and a couple of white tablets that look very small in her hand*

Wheeljack: *blinks at her blearily. Is greener* ...Need a docbot.

femme: *gently* Wake's on his way over. He had to check on one of his other patients, but these'll help. *offers the tablets again* And if they don't, I have a bucket ready for if you need to purge.

Wheeljack: *looks blankly at the tablets for a moment, then takes them, stuffs them in her mouth, and chews them up. And then chokes on them*

femme: *squeaks and sets the bucket within easy reach before scooting to get something else. Returns with a glass of water, which gets offered*

Wheeljack: *slight flail, and as she keels over the orange and black lady might recognize the common symptom of a person newly changed from their natural species holding their breath too long*

femme: *meeps and quickly but carefully thumps the human on the back between the shoulderblades*

Wheeljack: *gasps, and then regrets opening her mouth* .>_<.

femme: *soothing clicks, will hold the bucket within easy reach and also get a clean cloth out of subspace to gently wipe the woman's mouth with*

Wheeljack: *groans* ...Respect fer humans... increasing. *lays there and gasps for a moment*

femme: *more soothing clicks* Being LOLed human isn't easy, but we can help you with adjusting while it lasts. Most LOLs like that fade after a few days. Or if you want, I can call one of the Guardian Fae and get a wish to turn you back to normal.

Wheeljack: Got two damaged bots, and a little human kid with damage. *shudders and grimaces, then wipes her mouth on her sleeve*

femme: *quiet for a few seconds* Do you have coordinates for where they are? I'll send Wake there and get a wish to help you.

Wheeljack: Arcee's by the door. *tries to sit up, only to groan*

femme: *relays this to someone unseen, small nod* Wake's on his way. *very slight headtilt* And Lumen's getting you a mat to lay on for right now. Do you want a blanket?

Wheeljack: *lifts her head and pulls up her shirt to reveal a massive black bruise that covers most of her torso* Gotta get back.

femme: *meeps* I don't think I can fix that... *winglets fluttering and flicking* I wonder if a wish would help... *quick decision* Optimus, Optimus, Optimus.

yOp: *apologetic sounding busy signal*

Wheeljack: 0_0 The *beep*?

Femme: Oh, darn... I was hoping the Guardian Fae who isn't sorta scary looking would be able to help, but he's busy helping someone else... And Mirden and Aoife aren't strong enough to help without getting sick... Scattor, Scattor, Scattor.

woman: *tall, with luxurious violet curls and laughing violet eyes* He don't wanna talk right now, savvy?

femme: *Squeak! Earlights flash with surprise*

Wheeljack: *groan* It's a female Jack Sparrow. ...Think I'm gonna purge again.

woman: *blinks, and then cracks up and slaps her thigh*

femme: *meeps and gets the bucket where it'll work best* *to the woman* I don't think I know you, are you a friend of Aoife's or Mirden's or Oppy's or Scattor's?

woman: *straightens and wipes her eyes* I'm Aoife's mother. 'N that Sparrow bilge rat's daughter.

Wheeljack: *bucket yes*

femme: *blink blink* Oh, okay. That doesn't tell me your name though.... I'm Eclipse, by the way. *attention partially on tending to the urky woman, and partially on the other woman*

woman: *frowning at Wheeljack now* Vi'let Logan.

Eclipse: *small nod* I think she got LOLed human, and she's also hurt pretty badly, and I don't know much about repairing internal damage in humans, but Wake does, but he's on his way over to help her friends, and would it be possible for you to help her?

Violet: *shining eyes go unfocused for a moment* I kin bring 'er back t' base.

Eclipse: Back to base? *clicking softly and worriedly, even as she very carefully rubs the injured human's back*

Violet: Aye. That place yeh 'n Wake were raisin' *beep* in last Tuesday.

Eclipse: *winglets up, earlights flashing* Oh! I didn't know that was anyone's base, sorry we were trespassing.

Violet: *snorts* Yeh found it. But it's theirs now. Savvy?

Eclipse: *nod* Yup.

Wheeljack: *quiet urk sound followed by a groan*

Eclipse: *soothing clicks* *quietly, to Violet* Can you help her? *just a bit spooked, since Wakejumper hasn't really shown her much about taking care of organics*

Violet: *shakes her head* Jes' the ride back.

Eclipse: *small nod* Okay. *looks up as a blue mech sticks his head into the room. Will send him to get supplies to send back with the human being tended*

Wheeljack: *quietly* Wish I was back.

Violet: Yeh got it. *violet sparkles*

Wheeljack: *vanishes*

Eclipse: *will send Lumen to meet up with WakeJumper*


Back at the dressing room


WakeJumper: *scanning the young human and clicking softly* *to the two Autobots who are awake and responsive* He's got a minor concussion and a bit of shock from going through the portal... A bit of rest and establishing a new routine will help. You won't have to worry about getting food or fuel. There's a safe fuel dump called the Black Dog, and they cater to pretty much any type of dietary restriction. *attention going to where he set the yellow scout* The crumbling paint on your friend tells enough of the story. That portal was the only way out of your reality, which was collapsing on itself...

Smokescreen: *quietly, sounding blank* It's over... *more silent tears*

Wheeljack: *appears on the bench beside Raf, surrounded by violet twinkles*

Miko: AHHHHH! *jumps off Bulkhead's hand and is gone*

Bulkhead: Ack! *goes to get her back* Miko, don't run off. We don't know if it's safe.

WakeJumper: *quietly, to Smokescreen* It happens sometimes... Doesn't make what happened to you any less traumatizing or negative. But you came to a pocket reality that has ties to a multiversal hub, so you do have a second chance.

Smokescreen: Gone...

WakeJumper: *softly* At least you didn't die in your reality.

Smokescreen: *just cries*

Miko: *from over by the door* EEEEEEK!

Bulkhead: Whoa. Gotcha. ...Hi.

Arcee: *confused, even as she and Jack sort through supplies* Pocket reality?

WakeJumper: It's a stable reality, usually connected to a multiversal hub known as a Nexus. It's called a "pocket reality" because it's small. The two rooms here make up the entirety of the universe.

Arcee: ... *looks to Jack* Did any of that make sense to you?

Jack: Why did I have a fight in the dark and then wake up tied up with a jock strap?

WakeJumper: ... Depending on who you fought with, the jock strap could have been done as a joke.

Jack: I had a sweatshirt tied around my head too, and someone had KOed me. *frowning*

WakeJumper: *small frown as he gently wraps Raf in a soft, tf-sized hand towel* Hmm... That could've been anyone, then. It could've been done to shield you from the shock of the reality ending.

Raf: *squirms slightly* Sleeping on my book.

WakeJumper: *scans* *will gently relocate the youngster so he's not laying on the LOL dictionary anymore*

Arcee: *moves to pick the dictionary up* ... 'LOL dictionary'?

WakeJumper: It's a collection of known enchantments someone might encounter in the Nexus and the Backwater. *moving to tend to Smokescreen now. Already repaired Bumblebee's processor and set a timed release sedative tab so the scout can get some rest* *will also scan the human that appeared next to Raf, then he's frowning slightly* Who is this?

young mech: *clicking and chirping as he talks to the big green mech he met, and the human girl he ran into*

Wheeljack: *mutters her name, then shuts her eyes again*

WakeJumper: ... *very soft snerk and a nod of understanding* Well, now what Hormah told me makes sense. Eclipse went to get a jar of wishes to help everyone out, and knowing her, she'll also get rations delivered here.

Jack: I think we're covered there. *studying a package marked "macaroni with two cheeses"*

WakeJumper: Alright. *will relay this to Eclipse, as well as a suggestion to set the base up with a SwindleCo delivery* *will move to tag Smokescreen with a light sedative, before he moves to tend to Wheeljack*

Jack: ...Swindle co? *is reading the ration package*

WakeJumper: The owner's name is Swindle. He's a philanthropist whose family makes rations for refugees, fancy meals, and pretty much everything in between for both cybernetic and organic beings.

Bulkhead: *as he comes around the lockers* Zat so, kid?

Miko: *looks up at him* Kid?

Bulkhead: Yeah. He's a little kid. Like humans have.

blue mech: *nod, grin* Dad's helpin' your peeps, 'n Mama's gettin' stuff to help, too.

Miko: 0.0 So wait. You mean there really are little baby robots?

blue mech: *nodnod* 'N some even littler than me.

Miko: 0.o Ratchet is such a liar.

blue mech: *grin* Ratchet cheats at poker.

Miko: 0_0! He plays poker?

Bulkhead: *just standing and listening to all this*

blue mech: The ones I know do. *nodnod*

Miko: ....Ones?

blue mech: *nod* There's more than one, 'cause there's more than one reality. There's a Nexus outside the door, 'n peeps from any times 'n any places c'n land there.

Miko: *deep frown, and then a light suddenly goes off* What do you mean, "any"?

blue mech: Just like I said. Any time, any place.

Bulkhead: *momentarily distracted from worry over friends* ...You mean, somebody like Alucard could be there?

blue mech: *nod nod* Yup. I know one. She's nice, when she visits.

Miko: She???

blue mech: *nod* I've seen all kinds'a peeps. Mama says it's 'cause of all the expo... expostential stuffs. *no, that's not the right word, but he can't pronounce the word his Mama uses*

Miko: Wow! *girl is running on hyperactivity. Hasn't really realized what's going on yet, so everything's just an adventure*

blue mech: I'm even friends with three other mes. *grin* One's got puppies, one IS a puppy, 'n one's a big lion guy!

Wheeljack: *muffled mutter as WakeJumper touches her*

WakeJumper: *soothing sounds* You'll be alright, Wheeljack. *scans the woman*

Wheeljack: *massive bruising covers most of her torso and internals. One shoulder bone looks chipped*

WakeJumper: *will cool his finger slightly and gently touch it to the worst of the bruising to try and bring down the swelling somewhat*

Wheeljack: *can't hold back a whine, and then she's back in urk mode* The *beep*?

WakeJumper: *very gentle as he turns Wheeljack on her side* You've got some pretty severe internal and external bruising. I'm trying to bring the swelling down a bit, which will help with the pain.

Wheeljack: Want... my... body back. *is holding her breath again*

WakeJumper: *gentle poke in the side* Eclipse is on her way with something that will help with that.

Wheeljack: *passes out*

Arcee: Don't damage her! *worried*

WakeJumper: *calmly* She was holding her breath. Organics need to breathe.

Arcee: *sharply* I know that!

Jack: *here he comes, dragging a package behind him* Hey, Arcee. Why don't you come try some of this?

Arcee: ... Some of what? *not sure*

Jack: Err... I don't know. The label says, "Ration for light Cybertronian. Safe for organic contact". *studies the bag*

Arcee: ... *curious now, will move to study the bag as well*

bag: *is full of what feels like hard nuggets. Has an image on it of a bowl full of glowing rocks in various pale colours*

Arcee: ... This is supposed to be rations?

Jack: Well, that's what it says. *clueless*

Arcee: *will try scanning the bag's contents* *surprised sound* It is energon. *pause* And minerals?

WakeJumper: Energon-infused rocks. They're good for self-repair minerals and they taste pretty good. *attention going to the door as a string of excited chatter can be heard*

blue mech: Mama! :D

Jack: ... *looks up at Arcee* Rocks for lunch?

Arcee: ... *will open the bag to examine the contents*

orange and black femme: *is of identical tech to the little blue mech and WakeJumper* *to the little blue mech* Hi, Lumen. Are you behaving?

Lumen: *nodnod* Yup.

Arcee: *surprised sound at the very pleasant odor of the rocks*

Jack: *distracted as the spots on the packages he's holding turn green* Miko, here's lunch.

Miko: Jack! Her ears light up! That is so cool!

orange and black femme: *happily explaining about how that works*

Jack: Okay, but it's lunch time... did you say you got it from your dad, Wheeljack?

((Written with random_xtras))

Continued here