Backwater Nexus. Black Dog. Intro to the Multiverse Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

asRatchet: *glances toward the door as he catches sight of red and white. Doesn't recognize the Ratchet or the Optimus with him, but waves them over toward the Ratchet table anyway*

pmvRatchet: *puts down his tankard after chugging from it, and then makes like a Lumen*

Dove: *soft chuckle at her father*

davRatchet: *raised brow ridge at being waved over to one of the tables* Er...

davEclipse: *is happily explaining about the Multiverse and alternates to Optimus, and to Ratchet, but doesn't realize that the medic isn't paying full attention*

Athena: *notices the strange Ratchet's hesitation, so she smiles and also waves to him*

Dove: *serious bitty wave*

tlRatchet: Don't play that stone, Ratch.

pmvRatchet: *growls at him*

davOptimus: So those are other Ratchets? *smiles at her tiny friend as Eclipse climbs up on top of their own Ratchet's head*

davEclipse: *looks, nodnod* *in Minicon* [When people say anybody from any time and any reality can come here, they really mean it, Optimus. I've even seen a version of me that's human-sized and furry!]

davRatchet: *slowly* I think we've been invited to join their table.

davOptimus: So let's accept the invitation. *is curious to see how Ratchet is different in different places*

davRatchet: *small, careful nod* Yes, Optimus. *will move to approach the table*

davEclipse: *will begin explaining about how the fuel here is safe, and how starting fights is a good way to get kicked out and not get to have delicious fuel*

davOptimus: *pauses and looks down at something by her feet* ...Isn't that a fight?

davEclipse: *looks* *gigglefit* [They're not a danger to the other customers, so everyone just ignores them.]

davOptimus: *steps over the Minicon rumble and then walks toward the table that shes' been invited to*

davRatchet: *doing like Optimus and ignoring the rumble underfoot* *slight frown as he realizes he's looking at what could easily be a mirror image of himself*

davEclipse: *cheery greeting for the other Ratchets, Dove, and Athena*

pmvRatchet: *tsks* Didn't your mentor teach you it was rude to stare?

asRatchet: *BRAAAAAAAAP* *snerk*

davEclipse: *deedle!* [Be nice. This is his and Optimus' first visit to the Nexus.]

asRatchet: *narrow eyed Look* Who's not being nice?

pmvRatchet: Yupyupyup. *shakes head and looks at the game on the table*

davRatchet: ... *would be giving you a LOOK, if you weren't on his head, Eclipse*

davEclipse: [I'm just saying, don't be breaking their brains. Not everyone's up to handling meeting themselves on their first trip.] *gonna climb down and move to see if she can get a better look at things on the table*

Athena: *lays baby sister on her lap and holds out her hands to help the little tiny bot down if the little thing will let her*

davEclipse: *sweet smile for Athena, will gladly accept the help*

davOptimus: *settles into the seat that's pointed out for her* Thank you.

tlRatchet: Oop. Gotta go. *and he's gone*

davOptimus: *blinks*

davRatchet: *boggling a bit* How did he do that?!

asRatchet: Do what? *reaches for a handful of gummi ham bites*

pmvRatchet: Will you be civil???

asRatchet: *gummi hams him*

Athena: *as she settles the little Minicon onto the table* That Ratchet's a ghost.

davRatchet: *pauses and looks to see if he's being teased*

davEclipse: *chatter chirp, deedle-beedle, yap yap yap. Going to see about ordering something off the menu, kthx*

pmv and as: *too busy arguing now to notice the new guy*

Athena: *softly* Hello, Optimus. My name is Athena, and this is my sister from another reality, Dove.

Dove: *fist out of mouth so she can make a little wave with it* *little fist is covered in gummi ham sauce*

davOptimus: Hello, girls. I'm glad to meet you.

lbRatchet: *as he lowers himself heavily into an empty chair* Minor emergency, but I'm here now. Will you two stop that? *two clangs*

davEclipse: *startles at the clangs, squidgitdeedle?*

davRatchet: ... *sideways look for the yellow mech that just joined the table*

Athena: *quietly* This Ratchet lives here in the nexus with his wife and family.

as and pmv: *holding their heads and grumbling*

davRatchet: *slowly* I see.

davEclipse: *oooh, he's a friend. Deedle of greeting, returns her attention to the menu, will show her friends how the items pop up in hologram when they're poked on the menu* *excited deedling*

davOptimus: *attention to the menu, a smile once more sneaking over that scarred face as she listens to Eclipse and Dove's comments and suggestions*

as and pmv: *quibbling again*

lbRatchet: *quirks a scarred browplate at the Ratchet he doesn't know* First time?

davRatchet: Er. Yes. For Optimus and myself... *pauses to give a LOOK to davEclipse* But apparently, our Minicon friend has been here before.

davEclipse: *sees no LOOK! Is too busy yapping excitedly about trying something different this time*

lbRatchet: So what's the story for your reality? *sticks up a hand toward the bar, and then winces and shifts his weight*

davRatchet: *saw that wince, is going to try and scan you now, yellow him* We're currently stationed on Earth, working with the United States government. They were kind enough to donate a decommissioned missile silo for us to use as a base of operations, as well as numerous pieces of equipment to assist us.

davEclipse: *comments on what she thought of the computers and equipment when she first saw it. No, it's not polite* *attention back on the menu*

pmvRatchet: *to Eclipse* I agree. *to as* And you're another.

lbRatchet: I see. How many in your team? Any new activations?

davRatchet: Counting Optimus, Eclipse, and myself, there are currently eight Autobots, and one drone. No new activations... *can see the radiation damage you're carrying, yellow him, and it's got him concerned* *quieter* There will not be any more new activations ever again.

lbRatchet: *responds to the quietly tragic tone with laughter*

pmvRatchet: *looks over from wiping sauce off his face* What's so funny, Ratchet?

asRatchet: *listening without paying attention. Is busy feeding pmv's little girl more gummi ham bites*

davRatchet: *frown* The Allspark was sent through a space bridge. Nobody has been able to locate it since the day it was launched.

davEclipse: *looks up from the menu, puzzled deedlechirp for the yellow Ratchet*

lbRatchet: *to pmvRatchet as he gestures to dav* He says that his reality'll never have anymore new activations.

pmvRatchet: *starts to laugh too, but it's rueful and not mocking*

davRatchet: *SO much frown, even as he looks to davOptimus*

davOptimus: *quizzical look for pmvRatchet and lbRatchet*

pmvRatchet: *quietly, to the two newcomers* My reality followed much the same pattern of events as your own. *rueful head shake* Till Primus caused spontaneous bonding and spark budding.

lbRatchet: *soft snerk, and then turns to thank Archiva for the platter of softboils and silibacon that she just brought him*

davRatchet: Primus-! *startled to hear the name of the rumored deity-like being spoken as though he actually exists*

davEclipse: *chirp?*

pmvRatchet: *nods pointedly, then gestures to the soft grey babby sitting on Athena's lap* My daughter. And Arcee's.

davOptimus: *brows go up*

davRatchet: *intakes hitch sharply*

davEclipse: ... *quiet, sad deedle*

pmvRatchet: *frown of concern as his alter brothers look up from their meals at those sad sounds* *quietly* What's wrong?

davRatchet: *circulates air before letting it out in a sigh* *quietly* The drone I mentioned is all that is left of Arcee. Her personality data, voice, and her name.

davEclipse: *softly* [The bad spider lady con killed her and made Tailgate sad.]

pmvRatchet: *softly, with surprise* Tailgate is alive?

davEclipse: *nodnod* [He 'n Cliffjumper get into trouble driving places they're not supposed to.]

pmvRatchet: *gently* In our reality... it was Tailgate whom Airachnid killed.

davEclipse: Wooooooooooow! *wide-optics are a go*

davOptimus: *frown of sadness at the thought of the energetic scout being dead* So Cliffjumper patrols alone?

pmvRatchet: *looks down* No one is alone in the Allspark.

davRatchet: *hand over optics at the thought of the cheerfully rowdy brawler being dead in any reality*

davEclipse: *sad deedling*

davOptimus: *quietly* How did he die?

pmvRatchet: The Decepticons caught him alone, and Starscream... *looks at his daughter and cuts off his words*

Dove: *looks back and noms her fist*

davEclipse: *wibble, scoots to davOptimus. Needs a hug, Boss*

davOptimus: *scoops her tiny friend up and holds her close*

lbRatchet: *gentle pat for the lady Optimus' shoulder*

davRatchet: *quietly* Starscream attempted to ambush Cliffjumper, not knowing that Tailgate was less than a mile behind him. They were both severely dented, and Cliffjumper needed one of his horns reattached, but they'd managed to rip one of Starscream's wings off.

pmvRatchet: In our reality his wife does that for him regularly.

davRatchet: I'm almost afraid to ask.

pmvRatchet: Airachnid.

davRatchet: *wince* I'd say I feel sorry for him, but...

pmvRatchet: The last time I saw him he was tied to the wall and so full of ants that I had to pump him full of poison. Apparently the result of her experiment frightened even Airachnid.

davOptimus: *winces and shudders*

davEclipse: *quiet deedle about MiniCee liking ants. Is still hiding in davOptimus' hand*

davRatchet: *gives himself a shake. Kind of stalled there for a moment, imagining what happened*

davOptimus: *pats her old friend comfortingly*

asRatchet: *barks at someone over there*

female voice: *barks right back*

davRatchet: *attention going to whoever it is asRatchet is talking to*

asRatchet: *sees the searching look and grumbles* My brat daughter, Panacea.

davRatchet: *slowly* Who is her mother?

asRatchet: *hesitates and glances from davRatchet to the Optimus who came in with him* *looks at Dove* My wife.

davRatchet: ...

davEclipse: *squeaks. Accidentally gave herself hiccoughs*

Athena: *softly, in her firm way* All realities don't all go the same way. You've seen that already.

davRatchet: *a bit brain broken currently. He's figured out what asRatchet isn't saying*

davEclipse: *hic! Hic! hic!* *upset Minicon!*

Athena: *sees davRachet's expression and nods* Yes. Panaceas are made from Ratchets and Optimuses.

davOptimus: o_O. I see.

davEclipse: *trying to stop hiccoughing*

Tarantulus: *bringing over something to help with that*

davRatchet: ...

asRatchet: *face palms as a torrent of female cursing comes from the direction that his daughter last spoke from* Great! She's found the yellow jerk's brat and that harpy G1 Fixer.

Athena: *slight smile*

Dove: *nomma fist and listen*

davRatchet: *blink* G1? Fixer?

Tarantulus: *as he sets the minicon-sized portion of sweet fizzy where davOptimus can reach it to give to davEclipse* She's usually the CMO of a station way out in deep space called Tau Station. It tends to be a very rough place, but Decepticons won't ever set foot there.

Athena: G1 is the local term for a certain type of construction.

davOptimus: *watching that smallish, slender lady scold the two youngsters for something or other that they've done to that sleeping mech, but then a hiccough distracts her, and she quickly offers Eclipse the drink*

davEclipse: *holding onto the drink with both hands, sputters part of the fizzy as she drinks*

Athena: *watches the little Minicon drink, her mind going to the box that Myrrh had given her before she came out today*

davOptimus: *soothing words as she helps her tiny friend drink*

((Written with random_xtras))

Continued here