dens_tf_den | Nexus, Black Dog and Safehouse, New Beginnings

Strange-looking mech: *lugging something that most would mistake for scrap metal over his shoulders*

Archiva: *stops by the stranger* Would you like a seat?

strange-looking mech: *Startles, backing up a few steps* Er... *quick look around, not that he's really expecting to have been followed* Actually.... *quietly* I need help... *tips head slightly to indicate the mangled form he's lugging around* She needs a medic badly....

Archiva: *startled and dismayed* I can bring you to a medic/engineer right away. It's the little green bot on the bar.

strange-looking mech: *hesitates* Autobot or Decepticon?

Archiva: He's a Maximal. But this is neutral ground.

strange-looking mech: ... *doesn't know what a Maximal is, shifts the femme he's carrying a bit, adjusts the decidedly furry-looking helm and 'cape' he's got on, and nods* Alright...

Archiva: *turns to lead him to the bar* Rhinox, someone's damaged. Can you help?

Rhinox: *pauses in stirring an energon cube larger than he is, sees the damaged bot and his optics widen* Yeah, but not here. Here, Archiva, you take over the bar. Spazz, I'm going to need a hand.

Spazz: *comes out from under the upper part of the bar, a shield on her back with a tiny white sparklet in it* *looks up at her mate and then leaps up to stand by him* Alright. Just tell me what you need.

strange-looking mech: *studying Rhinox and Spazz without seeming to and silently thanking whoever's listening that the 'helm' he has on has a set of non-working optics a bit higher up than his own* *quietly* She was found caught along the leading edge of one of the ship's wings... *quick glance around* Blitzwing wanted to stuff her in a pod and jettison it at the first planet we encountered...

Rhinox: We can hear all this later. Give me your hand. We're going to teleport.

slm: *hesitantly does so, hoping that the scars and old injuries he himself has go unnoticed*

Rhinox: *touches hand, gives other hand to Spazz....* *and then they're in a large, quiet building with some couches, a big TV, and some doors around the sides. Rhinox and Spazz are standing on the arm of a big couch, though they quickly scramble down and make for one of the doors*

Spazz: There's a bed in here.

slm: *carefully moving to follow Rhinox and Spazz* ... What's a bed?

Rhinox: Berth. *shoves the door open*

slm: Ah... *follows Rhinox*

Rhinox: *looks around the ceiling-less, simply furnished room, then shoves the chair over to the berth so that he can climb up*

Spazz: *just teleports up*

slm: *approaches the padded berth and carefully transfers the femme to it*

Rhinox: *has taken his tools out of subspace and is now scanning the damaged femme*

Spazz: *hand on the femme, inputing her virus code so that she can have a look too*

Lucky: *chirping and clicking softly. Not really awake*

femme: *has apparently been through the figurative wringer. Her optics are little more than shards of glass and a mess of melted wiring in their sockets, she's clearly taken a few bad falls, been hit by small and large objects(Likely asteroids), and in places, her armor and frame have warped due to extreme heat and cold. She's in stasis, though, so it's not likely that she's feeling any of her injuries*

Rhinox: *looks at his wife, who looks back* It'd be faster to get her a new protoform.

Spazz: What does Primus say?

Rhinox: I'm checking now. *frowns and then shakes head* Nope. Will you get me these parts? *lists them*

Spazz: *lowers the shield cradle to the bed* On it. *gone with a flash*

slm: *lip components drawn thin* *quietly* How bad is she?

Rhinox: Her spark's stable. Her energy is dangerously low, but if there's time there's no reason not to try and repair the damage.

slm: *small nod, looks relieved*

Rhinox: *starts working a bit as he waits for Spazz to come back, chuckling absently and clicking as the little white bot in the shield cradle wakes up and starts chirping and clicking*

slm: *attention on the little white bot* .... *curious, but won't move closer*

Rhinox: Do you have a name? *doesn't look up from his work on the femme's face*

slm: *startles slightly* Er... Yeah.... *hesitant* Tarantulus...

Rhinox: *pauses just slightly, but then clicks to his son and resumes working* I'm Rhinox, and that's Lucky. The green femme's my wife, Spazz. How about your friend?

Tarantulus: No idea.... We found her stuck in part of the leading edge of one of the ship's wings...

Rhinox: Hrrrm.

Lucky: *squeak! Flails and laughs*

Tarantulus: Blitzwing spent part of the time we were trying to get her out laughing his head off... before he suggested that we stuff her in an escape pod and shoot it out at the nearest planet...

Rhinox: Why'd he do that? *working away*

Lucky: *wriggles and clicks quietly*

Tarantulus: Who knows why he does anything... he's crazy.

Rhinox: Hrrm. The one that comes into the bar seems to have a purpose to his actions. But the war's over in his reality.

Tarantulus: ...

Rhinox: *doesn't look up at the silence. Does hazard a guess as to the root of it* Did you know you'd stepped out of your reality?

Tarantulus: Er... No.... I figured the escape pod landed on an uncharted world...

Rhinox: *shakes his head* This is a Nexus that's open to several different timelines. You might have noticed that Spazz and I aren't the same tech.

Tarantulus: *Small nod* *Quietly* Yeah....

Rhinox: We're from two different versions of Cybertron.

Tarantulus: ... I see....

Rhinox: You can get back to your own reality. But the good part of being here is that you're safe. *looks around as Spazz appears with a huge cardboard box* ...Do I want to know where Blackout got that?

Spazz: Requiem got it off someone's fridge, he said.

Tarantulus: ... How safe is safe?

Spazz: *looks up at him* If you don't want to be hit, no one can hit you. Except if the hitter's playing. And even then it won't hurt you unless you let it.

Rhinox: And this building is a neutral safehouse. The femme that runs it is Decepticon, but her boyfriend is Maximal.

Tarantulus: *nods, though he does look a bit unsure even knowing that the safehouse is Decepticon-run*

Spazz: *quietly* I'm a 'Con.

Tarantulus: ... *would be raising a brow ridge, if more of his face were visible*

Spazz: A Sewercon. But my mech creator started out a member of Megatron's army. *shrug* The war's over in the reality I came from too. Nobody really won.

Tarantulus: ... I honestly don't know if there is a war going on where I'm from... *soft sigh* Some Decepticon I am....

Spazz: *chuckles* Hey, if it's not getting in your face, why bother with it?

Rhinox: *just tipped the box of parts over on himself, is busy digging*

Tarantulus: ... Some things matter more than whether it's getting in my face or not....

Rhinox: *grunts and goes to work*

Spazz: *shrug* Yeah. I guess so. *goes to get Lucky out of the shield*

Tarantulus: *moves to sit in the corner, as he has a feeling that he might be in the way*

Spazz: *looks around at his movement, and then teleports herself and her son over to the floor near him* I didn't mean to sluff off what you said. I've fought in different parts of different wars in different realities, and I know everyone can't just turn their backs on things and have them go away.

Tarantulus: *quietly* Even if I could turn my back on this.... *sighs* It's not like I have anywhere else to go....

Spazz: There's here.

Lucky: *clicking and squeaking to the big bot*

Tarantulus: ... If I stay here though... I can't do what I set out to do.

Spazz: 'N what's that? *head tilt, her blue optics serious in her odd little alien face*

Tarantulus: *Quietly* Get revenge.

Spazz: ....

Rhinox: *quietly without looking up from his work* Goals like that are a good way to stir up ghosts here.

Tarantulus: *Scowl* I wouldn't have to get revenge if I hadn't been betrayed by my best friend.

Spazz: '"Vengeance is mine," says the Lord. "I will repay."' *shakes head* Why do you 'have' to get it, though?

Tarantulus: *scowling more, moves to remove his 'cape' and helmet, revealing the mess that his frame and face are, with scarring and parts that look like they've been chewed on*

Spazz: *doesn't even flinch as she looks at him* I have siblings that are born kinda looking like that.

Tarantulus: *seriousness in his blue optics* I was left to die... The spiders though.... they never had a chance...

Spazz: *pauses* Optimus.

Rhinox: *looks up and over*

Tarantulus: *Flinches slightly* Tarantulus.

Spazz: .... Um, is it okay if I call someone?

Tarantulus: *putting his helm back in place* Fine by me. *going to sulk for a bit without seeming to*

Spazz: *bows her head and calls over a private frequency, then looks up as the sound of footsteps suddenly comes from the previously empty main room*

Tarantulus: ... *notices the lack of sounds usually associated with someone entering a room*

yOp: *peeks inside, a youngbot like Tarantulus once was, except that he lacks any faction symbol at all* Hello?

Spazz: Come on in, Oppy. He's over here.

Tarantulus: *tensed, is certain he's hearing things, and is also a bit scared to look*

yOp: *walks in and over to his alternate, then hunkers down in front of him* Hi. I'm Optimus. But I guess you know that. *no, he didn't put any title after his name*

Tarantulus: *slight intake hitch, can't bring himself to speak for a few moments. He's feeling royally freaked out at this point*

yOp: *gently, as he projects just a little bit of comfort and reassurance* I know. The first time you meet an alternate it's like looking in some kind of haunted mirror.

Tarantulus: *frowwwwn, still a bit uncertain*

yOp: *quietly* The spiders?

Tarantulus: .... *small nod*

yOp: *nods himself* *quietly* I died that day.

Tarantulus: ... *Sharp intake of air*

yOp: So did Elita-One. But she went on to the Well. I wound up somewhere else, and went back to keep... the last member of our party... from jumping down the hole and joining us.

Tarantulus: *bitterly* He would've gone, only because of Elita.

yOp: He kind of died that day anyway. I've seen his alternates, and they're all a lot different than I hear he is now.

Tarantulus: *scowl*

yOp: He's kind of what I wanted to be back then. *shakes head* But anyway.

Tarantulus: *slight disbelieving snort*

yOp: Hey, if you want proof I can go get a buddy that could take you there.

Tarantulus: No thanks. *attention wanders briefly to the berth*

yOp: *sits up and looks, then frowns* Showtime....

Spazz: *blinks and requests a lift up, then looks at the femme again herself* Slag, you're right.

Tarantulus: ... Who?

yOp: That femme. Her alternates go by the name Showtime.

Tarantulus: ... Huh... *headshake* Nobody I know or knew....

yOp: I think the one I've talked to said she was two classes after me at the Academy. *frowning and trying to recall past new ideas for cookies, and the second hand dizziness from his trine siblings*

Tarantulus: .... *sigh* She looks like she's been through the Pit and back...

yOp: You want me to try and see what happened?

Tarantulus: Knock yourself out... *still in a bit of a sulking mood*

yOp: Er... you have to wish for it.

Tarantulus: ... *gives yOp a 'Bhuh?' look*

yOp: *indicates that the older alt should follow him, then walks out into the main room*

Tarantulus: *darnit, now he's curious... Will get up and follow yOp*

yOp: *over to the open area behind the TV watching couches, then sucks air deeply into his intakes and starts to sparkle with red and blue. The light engulfs him, and when it clears away... there is a thirty something foot tall red and blue dragon standing there and looking at Tarantulus with serious blue eyes*

Tarantulus: *Wasn't expecting that, backs up a few steps*

yOp: *quietly, his usual voice coming from the dragon's mouth* When I said I died I didn't tell the whole story. See, I've been adopted by a Guardian Fae Dragon Changeling... and he brought me back to life by Changing me. Now I can do all kinds of things, but if they affect a person I need that person, or their guardian's, permission.

Tarantulus: ... Permission?

yOp: *nods* You have to wish for it.

Tarantulus: ... *hestitates. Was about to say "Why bother? I don't even know her..." before he remembers that he's the one who was going to sneak into the escape pod to make sure the femme survived* ... *small nod*

yOp: *quietly answers the nearly spoken words* Because if you turn your back on her you feel like you'd be doing just what Elita and Sentinel did to you.

Tarantulus: *slight stinkeye*

yOp: *just looks back*

Tarantulus: *Soft sigh* *Quietly* I wish to know what happened to the femme I was carrying around before my fellow Decepticons found her...

yOp: *looks to the side, and then images are playing out in the air between them*

Tarantulus: *sharp intake of air as he watches the images*

*The images show the femme talking to her three teammates before a training mission; the mission suddenly going south and one teammate trying to help the femme only to be sent flying in the opposite direction by some sort of explosion; the femme falling down into a chasm, hitting several rocks on the way down and damaging her optics badly; the femme wandering and occasionally taking another tumble as she seeks help before finally encountering the Decepticon warship, and trying to get inside, only to wind up stuck shortly before the ship took off from the alien planet that the original training mission was on*

yOp: *also watching, and his mind is searching for a Showtime in the vicinity of the safehouse. Something is telling him that talking to such a one might also help these two damaged bots.*

gShow: *curious sound as she hoves into sight near the door*

yOp: *looks over there* Showtime.

Tarantulus: *startles badly, landing on his skidplate in his haste to back up even more*

gShow: *nods to yOp, puts her hands up in a placating manner, keeps her tone gentle* *to Tarantulus* Easy... I mean you no harm...

yOp: *soothing calm* She's a friend.

Tarantulus: *Cycling air, looking back and forth between yOp and gShow, wondering to himself if he hit his head in the escape pod*

yOp: No. You're not hallucinating.

gShow: *Fading from sight slightly as she listens to what Primus is telling her about the furry-looking mech and the femme that Rhinox is working on in the next room*

Tarantulus: *small frown* Are you sure I'm not?

yOp: *reaches over and pokes Tarantulus in the side where he himself is insanely ticklish*

Tarantulus: Ack!!!

yOp: Not dreaming.

gShow: *soft snerk at the pair's antics* Alright you two....

yOp: *turns and looks at her* He's found one of your alternates.

gShow: *nods* I know... She'll be alright...

Tarantulus: ... I... *isn't sure what to say*

yOp: *quietly* Showtime... can you tell him how well revenge works?

gShow: *small nod* *quietly* The only thing it works for is ensuring an early return to Primus....

Tarantulus: ...*small frown, thinking back to the report he wrote early on in his academy days*

yOp: *sparkles and resumes his bot form, then reaches into a storage compartment and pulls out a mudpie, which he bites into with a thoughtful frown*

gShow: *studying Tarantulus' face* *quietly* The person seeking revenge... Often finds that if they do get it, it comes with a lot of pain and regret... *a bit sad now as she thinks of a certain femme who learned that lesson the hard way*

yOp: *looks around suddenly* In one reality Optimus and Sentinel left Elita One behind. Elita was changed by the spiders.... *looks at Tarantulus* *quietly* Would you like to meet that Optimus now?

Tarantulus: *looks at yOp, startled*

yOp: *still quietly* In that reality Elita got her revenge.

Tarantulus: *still a bit unsure, but nods*

yOp: *turns and heads for the door* He's in the bar.

Oppy: *suddenly over by Mama, visible and laughing happily as he wordlessly shares a joke with her that Pi just told him*

Tarantulus: *Startles again, optics widening when he realizes that he's looking at an even younger version of himself*

gShow: *doorwings up with amusement as she listens to the joke*

Mira: *pounces on Oppy and Aunt-Mama, loves on*

Oppy: *giggles, and then sees Tarantulus and waves to him, fading nearly from sight as he does so*

Tarantulus: *Sharp intake of air, feels like his tank's taken a solid hit from Lugnut* *quietly excuses himself and heads to the bar*

yOp: *waiting for him outside, turns and walks beside him when he comes out* *quietly* That Optimus didn't survive his first day.

Tarantulus: *feeling a bit queasy now* *quietly* Whose revenge?

yOp: In that case? Sentinel's, after his Optimus got the fame and attention he'd worked for his whole life.

Tarantulus: ....

yOp: But the Optimus of his reality has a bond mate. And six kids.

Tarantulus: ... Six kids?

yOp: *nods* The five he adopted are taller than us.

Tarantulus: ... Decepticon-sparked?

yOp: Have you ever heard of a bot named Superion?

Tarantulus: ... Yeah.... *quietly* Megatron managed to corral him in the hold of the Nemesis....

yOp: Well in that reality Optimus Prime hit him in the chest with the Magnus hammer. And they found out why he was so crazy.

Tarantulus: *slight headtilt, inviting yOp to continue*

yOp: Some Decepticon scientist had fused five sparks together.

Tarantulus: ... *okay, now the feeling of being punched in the tank is back*

yOp: *quietly* They're Autobot now. Silverbolt, Skydive, Air Raid, Slingshot, and Fireflight. *up the steps to the porch of the bar*

Tarantulus: *follows in silence, processor working this over*

yOp: His other kid's his own creation. I haven't seen her yet, but I've heard their Bumblebee talking about her.

Tarantulus: *silent for a few moments more* *Then...* Who is he bonded to?

yOp: An Earth-sparked femme named First Aid.

Tarantulus: ...Earth?

yOp: *nods* An organic planet that his ship crashed onto.

Tarantulus: ... *lips thin as he remembers what happened on the organic planet he was on*

yOp: *nods* The Elita he knew is still trying to avenge herself for being left behind.

Archiva: *asks them if they want the Prime table*

yOp: *looks over there and sees only two Optimuses of his own tech* Sure.

Archiva: *will lead them over there*

Tarantulus: *looking around, is a bit wary now*

Ops at the table: *one is sitting with his elbow on the table, the spotted fur on his shoulders laying smooth and shining in the lights of the bar as he frowns and listens to something the other is saying. That other Op... is female*

yOp: *nods to them as he takes a seat, then frowns slightly himself as he tunes into what his alter sister is saying*

fOp: And I don't know what to do. She's not afraid of anything. Even the fact that she could have died isn't making her stop and think.

Tarantulus: *hesitantly takes a seat, frowning a bit as he too catches what the femme Op is saying*

furryOp: ...She's Ratchet's creation alright. *shakes his head and has a few forkfuls of his chili*

Tarantulus: ... Who is? And who's Ratchet?

fOp: Ratchet is my CMO, and my mate. And I was talking about our daughter, Panacea.

yOp: *quietly* Tarantulus, this is Optimus Magnus, and Optimus Magna.

Tarantulus: .... *optics wide behind his helm*

furryOp: *nods* Hi. Do you want a drink or something?

fOp: *friendly, though tired grin of welcome to Tarantulus*

Tarantulus: Er.... sure.... *not sure how he's supposed to act right now, is clearly nervous, and glad that his 'cape' covers the Decepticon sigil he reluctantly wears*

furryOp: Just let Bet know what you want. *turns back to his femme alt* Starscream and I have to go to the new Decepticon colony tomorrow.

Tarantulus: ... *surprised and doing his best to hide it as he quietly orders standard ration-grade energon*

furryOp: *makes a slight face at the order* Are you sure that's all you want? You can get a couple cookies for the same price.

Tarantulus: ... *and now he's confused* Cookies? *not familiar with the word or what it means*

yOp: *pulls out a cinnaSeeker and shows it*

fOp: *amused now* Yeah... you'd be the guy to ask about those, wouldn't you, Optimus?

yOp: ^_^;

Tarantulus: *giving yOp a Look* You've had contact with Swindle, haven't you?

yOp: A Swindle is my mentor.

Tarantulus: ... I'd have figured he wouldn't want the competition....

furryOp: That Swindle works through the whole Multiverse. Whereever he can, he hires his alternates to distribute his stuff.

Tarantulus: ... Figures there'd be more than one of him as well... *slightly amused at the idea*

yOp: My trine brother is a Swindle too.

Tarantulus: ... Huh....

yOp: And the local Blitzwing just adopted a sparklet Swindle.

furryOp: 0_0 *facepalm* *snerk!*

Tarantulus: ... Sparklet?

yOp: *shows a holo image of the little roly poly baby bot*

Tarantulus: ... *soft snerk*

yOp: My baby sister and brother love him. *smiling as he puts the holo away, but then sobers* Optimus Magnus is the bot I was talking about.

furryOp: *quizzical look*

Tarantulus: *small nod, giving furryOp a curious look as well*

yOp: *to his techno-organic alt* We were talking about revenge. See, in Tarantulus' reality he got left behind in the spider den.

furryOp: *sobers and nods*

Tarantulus: *lips a thin line now, kthx*

furryOp: *quietly* I couldn't read Elita's spark signature, and I thought she was dead. But she wasn't... she was changed. And then she found me and my crew... and changed some of us. But before that she changed Megatron and his crew. And now because of those changes New Kaon is an asteroid belt and Cybertron was nearly destroyed.

Tarantulus: *sharp intake of air*

furryOp: *even more quietly* And Elita died. She was brought back by Optimus' mentor... but she doesn't remember anything of what happened or what she became.

Bet: *returns with plate of cinnaSeekers and cube of sweet energon*

Tarantulus: *cycling air again, though it is a bit shaky now*

furryOp: Starscream and I are trying to get Cybertron repaired and make sure our people have what they need. And we still haven't caught Megatron.

Tarantulus: *Seriously* Good luck with that.... He's good at slipping through the cracks and under the radar.... *Sighs*

furryOp: Ours isn't. He's just too crazy to get near.

Tarantulus: ... *Disbelieving* Worse than Blitzwing?

furryOp: Blitzwing is my friend. I'd trust him around my creations. Megatron... is berserk.

yOp: *holo of a two headed robot dragon perched on a jagged asteroid and bellowing his defiance into the void*

Tarantulus: ... Slaaaaag.....

furryOp: He ripped Starscream to pieces.

Tarantulus: ...

yOp: And once we took Starscream away he tried to do the same thing to Blitzwing.

Tarantulus: *Winces*

yOp: *holo of cheery chimera Blitzwing, and of fScream with his feathery ruff and chest*

Tarantulus: .... *would have a brow ridge raised, if it weren't hidden by his helm*

fOp: *touches the cloak* At first I thought you were techo-organic like Magnus... but this is just something you're wearing.

Tarantulus: *Slight flinch, resists the urge to scoot away* *quietly* There are some things that are better left hidden...

fOp: *quietly* And sometimes hiding things just lets them rust.

Tarantulus: ... *looking away now*

yOp: *looks around* We need pizza.

furryOp: *face. Palm*

Tarantulus: ... *attention back on yOp now* Pizza?

yOp: *nods and puts his hands over the table, then causes a large folded and breaded pizza full of different gummi meats and pickles and other toppings to appear*

fOp: *absently pushes her cube out of the way and reaches for a slice*

Tarantulus: *intrigued by the scents he's catching, reaches for a slice, then scowls when he realizes he'll have to either lift or remove his helm to eat the slice*

furryOp: *gets an organic pickle to eat with his chili*

yOp: *has a slice himself* ^_^

Tarantulus: *stinkeyes yOp for a moment before quickly checking to see whether anyone's looking in the direction of the table. Then he's quickly lifting his helm enough that the fangs that make up the lower half are well away from his mouth, unintentionally revealing the mess of scars that make up the rest of his face*

Pink: *buzzes up and kisses him on the cheek, then darts away and is lost in the crowd... with a slice of the pizza*

yOp: PINK!

Tarantulus: *Startles badly and manages to tip his chair over backwards* Ack!!!!

yOp: *sparkles of red and blue surround the scarred mech, and he's gently shifted back to an upright position*

fOp: 0_0

furryOp: *pounding on his chest because his chili went the wrong way* >_o

Tarantulus: *looking a bit brain-broken himself*

yOp: Pink's harmless. She just picked up the habit of kissing mechs from Blackout.

Tarantulus: ... *isn't going to comment on that... will work on quickly finishing his slice of pizza so he can put his helm back in its normal position*

pizza: *is goood*

Tarantulus: *pleased sounds, though he doesn't reach for a second slice*

yOp: You can take the rest with you, if you want. *munching his own*

Tarantulus: *hesitant* Er... Are you sure?

yOp: I can always make more. And she can buy it.

fOp: *nods, then catches a cheese string and pokes it into her mouth*

Tarantulus: *still a bit hesitant, until he remembers that the femme he helped is low on energy. Then he's nodding* Alright...

yOp: And there are energon dispensers in the safe house. *yes, Tarantulus. You've been eating energon*

fOp: Will you wait for someone to say something before you answer them?

yOp: Sorry. *blushes*

Tarantulus: *soft 'heh', before he's making sure his cloak is on securely, and that his helm's in the right position*

yOp: *looks at his scarred alt, wondering if the mech has seen what he's been trying to show him*

Tarantulus: *quiet sigh, a bit more uncertain than he was before he exited the escape pod with the femme*

yOp: Are you ready to go back to the safe house?

Tarantulus: *nods* Yeah....

yOp: Alright. *says good bye to the two Magnuses, and then gets to his feet after telling them that their orders today are on his tab*

Tarantulus: *gets to his feet as well, nods to the two Magnuses*

yOp: *is teased by the furry Magnus, and he's smiling as he turns to lead Tarantulus back out of the bar.*

Tarantulus: *quiet as he's lead back to the safehouse*

yOp: *quietly* I can heal that one really bad spot.

Tarantulus: *looks to yOp, slightly unsure*

yOp: I can feel it.

Tarantulus: .... *quietly* You can?

yOp: *nods* I can feel what others feel. You're me, so it's even easier.

Tarantulus: .... *silent for a few moments while he considers, before he's nodding*

yOp: *quietly* You have to wish.

Tarantulus: *just as quietly, though he does feel a bit silly saying this* I wish... that the cables that were...mangled... would be repaired.

yOp: *holds out his hand and concentrates on weaving back together the severed molecules and atoms. Tarantulus will feel... not a tingle... but something close but undescribable... as the red and blue sparkles envelope him. It is warm. And it is life*

Tarantulus: *trying to hold still, can't help but squirm a bit*

yOp: *reassuring murmur in his alt's mind*

Tarantulus: *a bit startled at that*

yOp: *quietly* Sorry, I usually only do things like this for my trine and my family, and we're used to the processor speech.

Tarantulus: *small nod* *quietly* Family is important to you?

yOp: They're my world.

Tarantulus: Must be nice.... *flinches when Mira pokes him*

yOp: Mira. *slight chuckle as the sparkles die away, then looks back to Tarantulus* Most of us are orphans. And most have died or come close to it.

Mira: *playful razz for yOp, will gently cuddle Tarantulus' leg, since that's the only part of him she can reach*

Tarantulus: *surprised by the sudden addition of Mira's happy thoughts and feelings as his leg's cuddled*

yOp: That's how freesparks talk. *soft ack as he's suddenly not the only Optimus in his shell* Hi, Oppy.

Tarantulus: *Expression softens as he kneels to be closer to Mira's level, acks softly as the little freespark is suddenly sharing his shell with him*

Mira: *Loves upon Tarantulus*

yOp: *squirming slightly* Cloudtrader... stop that!

Tarantulus: ... There're more freesparks here?

yOp: Mira, her brother Optimus, and a little Starscream clone named Cloudtrader. 'Trader lives where I do. *squirms a bit more* So he knows where I'm ticklish. >_<

Tarantulus: *soft chuckle, acks as Mira decides to see if this mech's ticklish in the same spots as Oppy*

yOp: Sorry for bringing that... ack!... up.

*and then there's suddenly a black Seeker femme with acid green accents and optics standing and watching the two mechs squirm*

Mira: *Hey, there's Disturbia! Goes to love upon Disturbia too!*

Disturbia: *squirms and cackles* Hi, Mira! Hey, Oppy, we ate all the pizza.

yOp and Oppy: *both looking at her* ....

Disturbia: Big Oppy. *grin*

Mira: *Loves on Disturbia and tells her about Tarantulus*

Disturbia: *looks at the scarred mech thoughtfully, then pokes him gently in the side*

Tarantulus: Ack! *skitters sideways a bit* O_O

yOp: Disturbia. *shakes head, then puts his arms around her and grins* Tarantulus, this is my trine sister, Disturbia. Disturbia, this is Tarantulus.

Disturbia: *rather Randomish grin* We met!

Tarantulus: .... *knows that grin*

Cloudtrader: *will snuggle the sad bot now* *and tell him all about Disturbia's first parents and how they can't see her anymore*

Tarantulus: *cycling air, feels a bit brain broken*

Cloudtrader: *and then happily mentions that he's Starscream's innocence!*

Tarantulus: .... *even more brain-broken now*

yOp: 'Trader, stop that. Guys, how about you two go home?

Disturbia: Awww. *pout*

yOp: Shouldn't you be putting Bubby to bed or something?

Disturbia: *pause* Stop trying to distract me.

Mira: -Awww.... Do ya hafta go, Disturbia?-

Disturbia: Oppy just thinks I'm scaring the new guy. :p

yOp: >_<. *facepalm and blush*

Mira: -Oooh...-*Snuggle*

yOp: *apologetic look to Tarantulus, not because he's embarrassed by his family, but because he is worried they'll bother the scarred bot*

Tarantulus: *small shake, is just a bit brain-broken, but will be alright*

yOp: *starts toward the safehouse again, Disturbia happily hugging his arm*

Mira: *gonna cuddle yOp as well*

Oppy: *going to go see the other big brother now!* *innocence and cute and thinking that this world is too lonely and quiet compared to home. And... HIIIII, Cloudtrader! LOVE!*

Tarantulus: *Acks and tries not to startle too badly*

yOp: Guys. Come on. He's not used to that.

Oppy: *won't listen to big brother. This brother needs love!*

Cloudtrader: *does Tarantulus want them to go?*

Tarantulus: *Quietly* Just don't tickle me... please...

Cloudtrader: *snuggles instead*

Oppy: *ditto!*

Disturbia: *watching Tarantulus* You've got a baby ghost party going on in there. Hahaha!

Tarantulus: I don't mind.... *following yOp and Distubria*

Mira: *decides she wants to cuddle Oppy and Cloudtrader as well*

yOp: Whoops. *bit surprised. He's used to being a baby ghost magnet when in the Nexus at the same time they are*

Spazz: *sitting on a couch when they get back to the safe house, Lucky laying beside her in the shield cradle*

Tarantulus: *squirming a bit as he walks, due to Mira accidentally getting him in a ticklish spot*

Spazz: *looks up* Oh great, he's got you hooked on pickle pizza.

Disturbia: *cackles*

Tarantulus: Pickle? *not sure what that is, Spazz*

yOp: The tangy things in the pizza.

Tarantulus: Oh... *chuckles a bit and then acks when Mira pokes him in another ticklish spot*

Spazz: *quizzical look*

Disturbia: He's being haunted. :D

Taranutlus: *Squirm* It wouldn't be so bad... Ack... if they weren't so good at-Gah! *Squirm*

yOp: They're sparklets. Sparklets seem to do that naturally. *sudden twitch and he's 0_0* Guys....

Mira: *giggling and clicking to Cloudtrader and Oppy*

Tarantulus: *Squiiiiiiirrrrrm*

yOp: *would tell them they're being mean to Tarantulus, but is currently doubled over and laughing helplessly as Cloudtrader and Oppy tickle each other*

Tarantulus: *Close to that state himself, only staying upright through sheer stubbornness*

gShow: *back from trying to locate her alt's Sharpshot* ... *Gently* Mira, Oppy, Cloudtrader, I think they've both had enough tickling for now... *would probably be more parental-sounding if her doorwings weren't perked in amusement*

Oppy: *pauses and peeks out of Tarantulus' belly, his optics wide*

Cloudtrader: *is that giggling you can hear and kinda feel*

yOp: *sits on the floor*

Mira: *clicks to Aunt-Mama, snuggaTarantulus, will go and cuddle yOp a bit*

gShow: *offers cuddles to Oppy and Cloudtrader* *and totally opening herself up for a tickle attack*

Oppy and Cloudtrader: *ticklepounce gShow!*

Disturbia: *sits by yOp and talks to Mira*

gShow: Ack! *laughing as she's tickled, and trying to give as good as she gets!*

Mira: *Quietly, to yOp and Disturbia* -What's it mean to clobber someone?-

yOp: 0_0 .... *pictures someone being hit and falling down and feeling pain*

Disturbia: No no no. *thinks of wapping yOp with a pillow*

Mira: *Small frown, confused free spark is confused* -Why would Tarantulus-Oppy wanna do that to someone?- *meaning the pillow thing, but she kinda thinks he means the hurting one*

Tarantulus: *Slinking off to check on the Showtime he rescued*

yOp: *bows his head and tries to explain to the little one about being angry and wanting to hurt someone who has hurt you*

Cloudtrader: *looks up* *does not compute*

Mira: *blink blink* -Like that Auntie Desi that was dating Nightstrike's son?-

gShow: *wordlessly tells yOp about that particular Desinex*

yOp: *nods, his expression a little grim and sad*

Mira: *Frown, snuggayOp*

yOp: -You guys don't have to worry about that kind of thing anymore.- *unless they get between Galvatron and Starscream, but he doesn't know this, and those fights won't hurt them anyway*

Mira: *blink blink, glances to Aunt Mama for clarification*

gShow: *quietly clarifies what yOp means*

Disturbia: *gentle hand toward where the little free spark is as she leans her head on yOp's shoulder*

Mira: *snuggles Disturbia and yOp*

Meanwhile

Rhinox: *still busy working away*

Tarantulus: *comparing the work that's been done to how Showtime looked when he first brought her out of the escape pod*

Rhinox: *doesn't look up* Hand me the energy spanner.

Tarantulus: *blink* Er... What does it look like?

Rhinox: It's the one that's glowing.

Tarantulus: Oh... *hands Rhinox the energy spanner*

Rhinox: Thanks. *resumes working* She's going to be fine, you can stop hovering.

Tarantulus: I know.... *soft sigh as he moves to sit on the floor* It's either sit in here, or risk being tickled by baby ghosts...

Rhinox: Ghosts are the memory of things past. Those three never had a past.

Tarantulus: ...

Rhinox: We call them free sparks.

Tarantulus: *Quietly* I knew the one didn't even live a day.... but the other two... They never had a past either?

Rhinox: From what I've heard the little femme died before she was born. And Cloudtrader is Starscream's innocence. How long do you think that survived?

Tarantulus: *cycles air for a few moments before he nods* *quietly, almost bitterly* You have a point...

Rhinox: At least in realities like yours. I've met some Starscreams that still have it.

Tarantulus: *quietly* Whatever innocence the Starscream I know had... Probably wound up like Cloudtrader.

Rhinox: Same with the one from my reality.

Tarantulus: *quiet for a few moments, then he's giving a wry chuckle* Some Decepticon I turned out to be....

Rhinox: Wearing a badge doesn't make a mech a Decepticon.

Tarantulus: ... *sigh*

Rhinox: And sighing doesn't change that.

Tarantulus: I know... It's just... I can't go back to being an Autobot....

Rhinox: *gets another part to put into the place he just emptied* Why not?

Tarantulus: Because the mech I used to be is more than likely listed as dead.... And it's not very Autobot-like to want to sock someone you once considered a friend.

Rhinox: Who says it isn't? I want to sock my best friend daily.

Tarantulus: Your best friend isn't a Prime, is he?

Rhinox: Yup.

Tarantulus: ... Probably isn't as big of a jerk as Sentinel....

Rhinox: *starts describing a day with Rattrap*

Tarantulus: *jaw has hit the floor by the time Rhinox finishes*

Rhinox: And that's a good day. There are days I have to put him back together after he's pressed his girlfriend's buttons.

Tarantulus: *facepalming now*

Rhinox: Not to mention taking care of her because they engaged in exercises they shouldn't have while they'd been LOL'd human.

Tarantulus: ... LOL'd.... human? *unfamiliar terms to him*

Rhinox: Changed to organic people.

Tarantulus: .... o_o

Rhinox: Don't worry, if you stay around the Black Dog and only eat things you get from there you should be safe. Unless Rattrap thinks it's funny to aim something at you.

Tarantulus: ... I'll keep that in mind...

Rhinox: Hand me that secondary coolant pump.

Tarantulus: *Does so*

Rhinox: But my point is. Even Autobots... or Maximals, in my case, want to punch their friends. Some even do it regularly.

Tarantulus: *small frown as he thinks this over*

Rhinox: Hand me that handful of bolts.

Tarantulus: *brings the handful of bolts to Rhinox*

Rhinox: *nods that he should set them down nearby* And not every bot is a Decepticon or Autobot.

Tarantulus: ... What do you mean?

Rhinox: Did you see a badge on your alternate? The cookie salesman?

Tarantulus: ... No....

Rhinox: Because he doesn't wear one. He's a civilian. A neutral.

Tarantulus: ... Sort of like Swindle....

Rhinox: ...Not really.

Tarantulus: .... *small shrug, moves to settle against the wall*

Rhinox: From what I've heard, Swindles in your realities wear the purple badge because Decepticons make better weapons customers.

Tarantulus: ...*small nod, absently rubbing at one of his scars*

Rhinox: *at the prompting of the voice in his head* You ever hear of Lockdown?

Tarantulus: *Small scowl*

Rhinox: I can't hear your head moving from here.

Tarantulus: *Scowls at Rhinox* I've heard of that slagger.

Rhinox: The one I've met isn't that bad. But she's a neutral.

Tarantulus: ... She?

Rhinox: Yes. She.

Tarantulus: *Despite having just met a femme alternate of himself, the idea of a femme Lockdown's done him in. He's well and truely brain-broken now*

Rhinox: *glances over and snorts, then shuts the panel he was working under* That's all I can do here.

Tarantulus: *slow nod*

Rhinox: *powering Showtime up*

Showtime: *soft sound, lays still while she tries to figure out where she is* *quietly* Hello?

Rhinox: *adjusts the cloth he's taped over her optics* Just take it easy. You've been damaged badly.

Showtime: ... *Quietly* Where am I?

Rhinox: You're in a safe house in a Multiversal Nexus.

Showtime: ... *working this over and wondering if she mis-heard*

Rhinox: It doesn't make sense, so don't try to make it.

Showtime: ... Alright.... *settles for listening to her surroundings and slowly feeling around her to 'see' just what it is she's laying on*

Rhinox: *quietly* What's the last thing you remember?

Showtime: Finding something large.... It felt like something someone built... a building maybe... I was trying to find a way inside... then there was a lot of shaking and everything went black.

Rhinox: That was a Decepticon warship.

Showtime: ...

Rhinox: You're safe.

Showtime: *cycling air quietly* A-Are you sure?

Rhinox: Totally.

Showtime: A-alright... *trying to relax, flinches when she hears Tarantulus shift positions*

Rhinox: Don't worry. He's a friend.

Showtime: ... Who are you?

Rhinox: They call me Rhinox. Medic for the Maximal ship Frag It, under Rattrap Convoy.

Showtime: ... Convoy? *confused*

Rhinox: ...Prime.

Showtime: ... What class was he in?

Rhinox: None, actually. But we're not from your reality.

Showtime: ... *small nod* Right... You said multiversal....

Rhinox: That's right. *looks over his shoulder as Lucky's clicking tells that his wife's come into the room*

Showtime: *confused expression, turns her head in the direction of the clicking she hears*

Spazz: *teleports up and comes over* He wants you.

Rhinox: *rumbly chuckle as his face lights up. Holds out his arms for his younger son* Let's see him. Did you miss me, Lucky? Hmm? *more chuckle as the clicks quicken and get interspersed with squeaks*

Showtime: *doing a quick bit of counting based on the sounds and voices* Two mechs, one femme... and something that clicks and squeaks.... *no, she's never heard of sparklets*

headSpazz: -It's a newspark. He's not very well programmed yet.-

Showtime: ...*trying to pinpoint headSpazz's location, isn't having any luck*

headSpazz: -I'm talking in your processor.-

Showtime: ... *confused, and a bit concerned now*

headSpazz: -I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just a program that was put here to have a look at your systems.-

Showtime: ... -You're a program?-

headSpazz: -A sentient one, but yeah. I'm based on the personality of Rhinox's wife.-

Showtime: -the other femme in the room... right?-

headSpazz: -Yup.-

Showtime: *quiet sigh* -How bad off am I?-

headSpazz: -Your optics were shot. Rhinox replaced those. You've got a new secondary coolant pump; new cables. You're still a little warped because of extreme conditions and some collisions, though.-

Showtime: ... -Something's covering my optics or they're not on... otherwise I'd be able to see.... right?-

headSpazz: -He taped a cover on them. Otherwise, yeah, probably.-

Showtime: *Small nod* *quietly* -Probably a good thing.... I've been wandering in the darkness for so long...-

headSpazz: -It's been awhile?-

Showtime: *another nod* -If my chronometer's to be believed... It feels like it was a lot longer though...-

headSpazz: -It always feels like forever when you're lost.-

Showtime: *soft chuckle* -Yeah...-

headSpazz: -At least you weren't slogging through a swamp in a shell that was locked up-

Showtime: *slight wince* -That... doesn't sound pleasant...-

headSpazz: -It wasn't. Thankfully it'll never happen again.-

Showtime: -That's good then....- *attention going right to Tarantulus when he shifts positions again*

headSpazz: -He kinda had the same thing happen to him that you did.-

Showtime: -Is he Cybertronian? He doesn't sound quite like one...-

headSpazz: -Yeah, he's Cybertronian. He's just wearing something that makes him sound like that.-

Showtime: -...oh... Who is he?-

headSpazz: -He calls himself Tarantulus.-

Showtime: *small nod* -Not the strangest name I've ever heard, but oh well...- *quiet chuckle*

headSpazz: -He's a little strange looking. There wasn't any Rhinox to repair his damage.-

Showtime: *wants to try and sit up now* -Is he hurt badly?-

headSpazz: -Rhinox'd probably rather you stayed laying down for awhile. And no. Just scarred, now.-

Showtime: -Alright...- *laying back down, didn't actually get very far in sitting up* -He was hurt badly at one point?-

headSpazz: -It looks like it. But I haven't had a look at his systems, so I couldn't tell you for sure.-

Showtime: -Oh...- *listens a bit harder for any other beings in the immediate area*

headSpazz: -It's just those four in here with you.-

Showtime: -Okay....- *despite coming out of stasis mere minutes ago, she's starting to feel a bit tired*

headSpazz: -Get some rest.-

Showtime: -Yeah...- *powering down to rest*

Spazz: *watches as she does so, and then looks at her husband, who is talking and crooning to their son, and then over to Tarantulus* She's sleeping.

Tarantulus: *Small nod, stretches a bit*

Rhinox: *looks up as Lucky cuddles against his chest and listens to his spark* Is there anything else you need?

Tarantulus: *Quietly* I don't think so... *remembers the pickle pizza, gets up and sets it where Showtime will find it when she wakes*

Rhinox: You should fuel too. *rubs Lucky's back*

Tarantulus: I had some of the pizza earlier...

Rhinox: *frowns at him* How much of the pizza?

Tarantulus: One slice... I'll be alright though.

Rhinox: *frown, but shrugs and turns to Spazz* We better get back to the bar before someone pulls a fast one on Archiva.

Spazz: *nods and puts a hand on Showtime* Just let me check something... okay, she's alright. *goes over and climbs up to sit on Rhinox's shoulder*

Tarantulus: *Quietly* Thank you for helping her...

Rhinox: I'm doing my job. *looks down at his son to hide the darkening of his optics* And repaying a debt.

Tarantulus: *doesn't miss that, but figures it's not his place to ask, settles for nodding his head before moving to lay down out of the way*

Rhinox: The room next to this one's empty. You can sleep there.

Tarantulus: Oh... *gets up* Alright... *will head there then*

Rhinox: *watches him go, and then teleports his family back to the bar*

gShow: *will gently usher her wards home a little while later*

((co-written with

random_xtras))