Fun fact, the most effective way for me to write is 30,000+ feet in the air, no WIFI, limited battery and a desire not to think about the land/ocean hurtling below me at a rate that would kill me on impact were the plane to crash.
This reveals a few things about me, one, flying, no matter what distance, is the bane of my existence, and two... good fucking hell I am not looking forward to my other flights in the next two months at all.
Anyway, as I cranked out the vast majority of chapter 29 while fearing death to a degree I don't normally reach, please enjoy this latest chapter, with a guest star, death herself.
There was no warning of the twins departure like there was Kia's, the split spark same frame twins took off in the dead time after midnight, when all were at rest and none would wake at the sound of their broad wings taking them up into the air.
It left only Ira on board of the Harpies, and the Irish femme seemed to have limited interest in speaking to any of the bots, her frame curled up and unresponsive on the now empty looking decking, her holoform locked away in her designated room.
He sought out Lena Oxton out of a desire to speak to someone outside of his unit and their charges.
She was tending to Leeroy, the young boy had taken to the woman, and she to him, so it was unsurprising to find the two up in the boys room, which, despite lacking any real toys, had otherwise been fitted as best as they could to make it safe, spare pillows were left on either side of the bed in case he rolled off, that sort of thing really.
"Miss Oxton?" He called, knocking lightly on the door.
It opened not long after a call from inside told him to wait a minute, it opened in less than twenty seconds. "Optimus Prime Sir, please, come in." She invited, stepping aside to allow him to do just that.
He stepped inside, looking around at the carbon copy of his own room. "How have you been?" He enquired.
She nodded her head happily. "Oh I've been great! Leeroy is such a sweet little thing." She remarked, easily picking the boy up and holding him in her arms. "Also helps I have some upper body strength… oh one second, hold him please I need to do something."
The boy was passed into his inexperienced arms a moment later.
He exchanged a look with the boy, who just smiled and patted his face, where his holoform was apparently developing 'stubble'.
Lena darted off into the bathroom for at most a minute before coming back out with something stuck in her mouth.
He assumed she said 'thank you' when she took Leeroy back, but with the white foam and stick in her mouth she couldn't easily say it.
He just nodded in ascension.
Not a minute later Leeroy was passed back to him and Lena went back into the bathroom to spit the foam and stick out.
Something in his internals twisted, and he was somewhat thankfully his holoform required no such act to be performed.
She took Leeroy back and sat down then. "So… I'm assuming you came here wanting to talk?"
He nodded. "Yes… the Orichiono's departed last night."
"And Ira has locked herself away?"
He nodded.
"And you feel like you need a break from your team because they've been your only social contacts in ages?"
"Since the exodus of Cybertron, yes."
Lena looked at him in mild confusion for a moment before shrugging it off. "Can't blame you then, come, take a seat."
He sat down on the bed and she moved to sit next to him, letting Leeroy wriggle free to go lay elsewhere on the bed. "He's such a sweet thing… hasn't spoken a word since he asked Bumblebee for help." Lena spoke, breaking the ice that had been forming at his hesitation to speak.
He hummed, he'd noticed the boys silence too. "He saw things no youngling should, it will likely haunt him for the rest of his life, even if he doesn't remember specifically why."
Lena pursed her lips to the side and nodded in understanding. "I know… Miss Aria was able to track the family down…"
That was good news… but something about how Lena said that concerned him. "Is there… something wrong?"
"Yeah… the family had been battling a court order for Leeroy to be put into care, it's all been dropped given he's been marked as deceased, alongside his mother. No other living relatives outside of a father who has since gone missing… there isn't a family to send him back to… so he's going to be put up for adoption in Monaco."
Leeroy looked over to them then, and Optimus could tell the boy knew what Lena had just said meant.
Affirmed by the fact he crawled over and clambered back into her lap and did his best to hug the woman who'd been caring for him.
Lena sighed and stroked his head of blonde hair. "I'm sorry dear… but I can't look after you forever… my duty is to the Orichiono's" She tried to explain, the boy just buried his head against her stomach and whimpered.
Lena seemed to be almost physically pained by the sound, hefting the boy up from under the arms so he could rest his head on her shoulder. "Sshhh, sshhh, please don't cry… sshhh… I'll try and keep in contact… I… I'm just not what you need… I'm no mother."
Leeroy whimpered again but seemed to relent, going limp in his grip on her front.
It seemed to pain the woman, her hold on him tightening for a moment before she tapped him on the nose with a finger. "You must be hungry right? Why not go ahead and get yourself something to eat at the breakfast table? Have to have a 'grown up' talk with Mr Optimus here, ok?"
Leeroy pouted but nodded, sliding off the side of the bed backwards before walking to the door and stepping out, the door closing behind him.
Lena huffed out a sigh and slumped. "Such a sweet little boy…"
Optimus nodded in ascension, but opted to change the topic. "Do you think there is a reason, the Orichiono's departed as they did?"
Lena nodded. "Yes, they were called last night about something important they had to do in Monaco, they saw little reason to delay it any further… and also… they're not good at goodbyes."
He regarded her with a look of confusion. Lena seemed to notice and tried to elaborate, though came up short. "I don't know why, I may know my bosses personally, but not that personally."
That gave him an idea of what to ask. "How did you meet the Orichiono's?"
Again Lena reached for her other wrist, clutching to it. "I got a job as a receptionist… they like to be on good terms with their staff, took time to talk to everyone they found on a given day. Working at the desk, I was always an easy find."
He felt like that wasn't it, at least, not all of it. "They seem to of taken a specific liking to you though? Is there a reason why?"
He certainly wasn't imagining it, the grip on her own wrist tightened, the area around starting to go white.
He reached over, and with a look, convinced her to let go of herself. "Lena, if they are holding something over you…"
"They saved my life." She interrupted, a fire having sparked in her gaze, one of fierce loyalty.
He let her recover from the snap, a small part of himself preening itself that his true suspicions had been just that.
Lena sighed. "I was young… stupid… I thought it was just how he showed he loved me… we married…I… I... I cut ties with my family… they didn't approve… he moved us to Vegas… He'd go out… work… then go right to one of the casinos… paycheck in his pocket on some nights… my limited savings vanished… he drunk… a lot… ate any food I put in the fridge… I realised… if I could get a job, a part time one… I could… I could keep it secret… I went on every job site, applied to everything… the Orichiono's were my big break…" She took another breath to calm herself. "For a few months, it was going well, some of the money went to makeup, I didn't want people to worry… to question… so I covered up the bruises, avoided sitting on chairs with backs…"
Optimus felt his spark go out for the woman, and with a cautious hand, placed it on her shoulder to get her attention. "Breathe… I'm under the interpretation breathing is somewhat vital to the continuation of human life."
He knew what she was getting off her back was, emotionally weighted, and he was glad to see his 'alien' way of phrasing things, managed to coax a disbelieving laugh out of her, breaking the descent into the past she'd started.
"Feel better?"
Lena nodded. "Yeah… but I want to keep going… I want to get his off my shoulders."
He took his hand away, and let her pull together her thoughts, waiting patiently for her breathing to level out once more.
"Wren had come down, to talk to us at the front desk, she was always so polite, waiting for us to be free before striking up a conversation, asking about our well being, if there were any medical bills she could help us pay off… they always insisted on helping pay off any unplanned bills. Certainly made them popular." She chuckled to herself there before continuing. "And… the next thing I know, there's shouting, specifically a 'You whore!', from the front doors. It was my husband."
He brought his holoforms hand to her shoulder again, offering support that she seemed to appreciate, before continuing. "He charged the front desk… Never even made it, Wren tackled him to the ground and called for security after he managed to punch the side of her head… That was when we all saw her body… glitch, the impact caused the side of her face to pixelate… thank God the lobby had been empty. We were all debriefed on the truth later that evening… after my husband had been taken away by the police for attempted assault and actual assault."
She grabbed her wrist again. "When it was time for the court hearing… Aria and Wren came to support me… he was brought in in shackles… it didn't stop him… he was like a monster… he grabbed me and broke my wrist in three seperate places… The judge sentenced him for Six years… for so long, I feared he'd find me once he was free… but now… now he'll never find me… Louise died in the Cosmopolitan fire, and the twins, they helped me become Lena Oxton." Her smile was infectious, one full of hope. "They've given me the chance to start over, it won't be easy, being one of their personal guard, but I'm ready, willing, and once I'm fully trained… I'd lay my life down for their safety."
He was surprised by her conviction, but he also he believed every word she said.
This woman was willing to die for the twins, to sacrifice herself for them…
It was… humbling… but at the same time he was worried.
He'd seen such loyalty before, within both his own ranks, and that of the Decepticons… blind loyalty was something easily exploited, or become corrupted… he could only hope that wouldn't happen here...
Lena patted his shoulder, getting his attention. "Thank you, for listening… if you ever want to, and I have some free time, I'm more than willing to talk if you want to get something off your chest too."
He appreciated the offer. "Thank you Lena… I'll remember that."
Lena nodded. "We'll both be based in Monaco, I'll only be a call away."
A thought came to him then, and he spoke it. "Lena… if you could… you said a few days ago that 'The bombs dropped' on the Harpies world… and it brought upon the world a sickness? I've never heard of a weapon that could do that… especially on such a scale..."
Lena looked him over for a moment before she asked back. "Wait… you mean you, your race of hyper advanced aliens… you never split the atom?"
Split the… "I'm sorry, split the atom? The building blocks of all materials in the universe? Mrs Oxton, one does not so simply split the atom… It… It cannot be done." He couldn't help but sound incredulous.
Lena seemed to take a moment to process what he said before she replied. "Well don't I have news for you Optimus Prime… we, both this world and the Harpies one, split the atom to end World War two."
His holoforms eyebrows shot up. "Two world wars?"
"Hmm… looks like we've got a lot to discuss, but let me tell you something Optimus… the Cold War, back in thr 70's and 80's… that was the closest this Earth ever came to a nuclear war… we were the lucky ones. As the Orichiono's said… their Cold War, didn't stay cold for long… and it decimated the human race… poisoned every living thing… and yet… in a show of stubborness, they're still fighting, fighting the sickness, and trying to find a cure. It's just another reason I look up to the Harpies, they were born into that world… over a decade after the bombs dropped… and they're the ones that were fighting to fix it, they saw their world going to hell when everyone else was content to just live in this world, and keep living their lives, because what did they have to compare it to? To us, and them now, they have a comparison, this world, where the bombs didn't dropped, and now… they want to get home all the more, because they want to try and set the world right… how can you not admire that?"
He let all she said roll through his processor, taking in everything she said, and a sense of understanding and agreement was his conclusion.
Perhaps he wasn't wrong to trust the Harpies...
Monaco
He was starving… thirsty too… definitely thirsty… they were going to kill him… leave him to slowly dry out into a dried husk under that stupid flickering light bulb…
The door swung open behind him, he hadn't even heard anyone approach…
And whoever it was, they seemed to be just… standing there… looking him over.
"Jamerson…" The lettering was drawn out like a ghost on the wind, but solid in a way that send a cold chill down his back, the voice of disapprovement, disdain… that dual resonance that could only belong to them...
The twin freaks.
He felt his body tense, despite how… tired he was… how long had been awake…
"You're being stubborn, boy~."
He gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Definitely stubborn… hmm… oh well… we can leave you a couple more days if you want… you're not exactly going anywhere."
He didn't have the strength to clench his good hand, the handcuff had long rubbed the skin painfully raw, it had even started to bleed, he'd humoured just tearing the thing off, damn the thing, he didn't need hands…
Something brushed the back of his collar bone, a single sharp nail, scraping across the shirt that was to big for him… the one that reeked because he'd worn it so long.
The bite of pain made his eyes go wide and his body go tense and rise up, following the sharp glide of that talon like nail now at the base of his spine.
"Or… we can let you go…"
His chest was spasming… why was is spasming…?
He was shaking… violently, so much the table and chair rattled.
They remained deathly still, the nail now dug sharply into the divot of his skull where it met the back of his neck.
"Oh you poor thing~. You're shaking like a leaf~."
The nail pulled away.
He could feel the thin trickle of blood staining a line running from his neck down his back, causing the shirt to stick to his already sweat coated skin.
Finally he spat something out at them. "Just kill me already!"
There was a pause, one so long he thought they'd left… his ears weren't working their best, nor were his eyes… they were flickering… how long had he been up?
How long had he stared at that sandwich?
God he was hungry.
It was poison… they'd poisoned it… they had to of…
A body sat down in the chair opposite him.
His eyes betrayed him, they looked up.
That… that wasn't a human…
It looked human… head… cruella de vil hair... shoulders… breast pushed up by crossed arms… one leg cross over the other… laid back…
But those eyes… that he glimpsed over the edge of those impassive sunglasses…
No humans eyes burned hellfire red.
God he was seeing things… hallucinating the devil incarnate...
They leaned forwards, already cradling their jaw in their intertwined fingers before their elbows thunked in perfect time onto the table. "We can help you Jamerson~. Like we did in the Amazon~. We can fix you~. Just like we did then~."
He wanted to spit at them… but his throat was too dry… to hoarse… speaking like he had… it had burned like fire…
One of their hands reached forwards, cupping his jaw, he didn't have the strength to move away as they tilted it both ways, examining him. "We can rebuild you~. Make you better~. And you'll never have to worry about a thing~."
He shook his head again… where was that stupid ringing coming from?
Why was the world moving sideways…
Why wasn't he fighting back…
Did he want to fight back…?
"All those worries… we understand Jamerson… they're a heavy burden… they weigh you down… hold you back… we can take it away… take away all that weight… doesn't that sound lovely?" They purred, releasing his head so that he was looking directly into those hellfire red eyes.
It did… no… it did… it did…
He was going limp… he was nodding… why was he agreeing…
Because he wanted it.
He wanted them to take the weight.
They smiled… it was a nice smile…
They were nice…
"First thing then…"
The handcuff gave way, falling from his hand to clunk against the metal leg of the chair.
RUN!
No… no… no run… stay… listen…
"And your other hand?"
He showed the bandage to them, they took it, turning it over.
The blood stained bandages fell away.
They scowled and shook their head.
"That's going to have to go, don't worry, we know a thing or two about prosthetics."
That sounded nice… his hand… it was bad… green… puss filled… he hadn't even noticed…
It had to go…
They'd get him a replacement…
"Eat. You must be starving."
There was nothing but crumbs left on the plate… he'd almost choked in his haste.
"Don't choke."
Wouldn't dream of it.
"Good. Good man… now… stand."
He stood, ramrod straight.
They looked him over, slowly prowling back to his side of the table.
"Jamerson is dead, his death reported as a vehicle crash during the evacuation of the dam… we're going to need a new name for you… aren't we?"
He nodded, yes… a new name… a new name was needed.
"Glad you agree… Max."
Max… he was Max now… yes… Max…
They stepped back towards the door, the grey dress, so thin it trailed behind them like a spectre, flowed behind them like a river, glistening as the white and black interwoven threads danced in the flickering light of the only light in the room.
Beauty… grace… power…
His Ladies.
He turned and clapped his hand to his shoulder. "I will lay my life down for you, my ladies."
They smirked, but shook their head, pushing their sunglasses back into place, the red bleeding back to green.
"No, you lay your life down for the Triage. Nothing else matters."
"Yes my ladies."
"Dismissed, go get yourself back in shape."
He nodded and walked out of the open door.
They remained in the room, looking around for a moment, before smirking and stepping out, flicking the light off from the outside as the door swung shut behind them, no hands required.
He was taking the stairs, giving them immediate access to the elevator.
They stepped inside, and pressed the button for the top floor, the silver plated mahogany doors sliding shut before rocketing upwards.
"That, took less time than usual." Aria remarked, running her left hand through Wren's black hair.
"Five days without food and water, if it weren't for us, he'd be dead, I'd say he was a bit past the threshold required for an easy transition." Wren remarked, tilting their head to the side to glance at their nails. "We'll need to alert the medical staff, and the craftsmen, Keeley certainly didn't leave much of a hand."
"No. No she didn't."
The elevator doors opened again, revealing the sprawling living room beyond.
"Nuit!"
"Noir!"
Two heads popped up on the couch, their pointed over ears raised as their heads jerked round.
Twins barks and the two doberman where scampering over, their nails clicking on the polished purple heart wood floor as they rushed to the twins as they stepped out of the elevator, letting the doors swing shut behind them.
Two large guard dogs yaped and barked, circling the twins.
The twins felt a sense of relief seeing them, they'd had the forethought to have the two flown to Monaco a week before they made contact with the Autobots.
It had saved the two pooches lives, Ira wouldn't of thought to save them from the blaze that became of Cosmopolitan.
"Aww sweet hearts, did you miss us?"
Noir barked especially loud and performed a quick jump before a single gesture had him and Nuit sitting patiently.
The dogs watched on as the holoform began to warp and twist, before splitting into two in a mess of static like pixels.
Before they could start enjoying some time with their dogs however, a knock came from the doorway that led to the rest of the sprawling manor.
"Mademoiselles, there is a guest… waiting for you in your office." Stephan, one of the four butlers in charge of keeping the manor in perfect condition, announced.
Both bowed their heads slightly in ascension. "Thank you Stephan, we will see to them." Wren replied, patting down her dress to get rid of non-existent creases.
"Did they introduce themselves?" Aria asked
Stephan shook his greying head. "No mademoiselles, she… walked right through the closed door."
The mans confusion and alarm was evident, but if anything the twins presence lightened, and small knowing smiles appeared on their features.
"Well if someone wants to see us so badly they ignore physics, it must be important." Aria remarked, beaming as she made her way to where the butler stood, Nuit following directly behind her like the loyal dog she was.
Noir waited for Wren to follow after, his tail wagging as he trotted beside her, earning a fond head scratch and ear ruffle from the black themed twin.
Stephan stepped aside to let them through, before turning and heading down towards the opposite end of the corridor. "Dinner shall be ready at seven, shall I have the cooks prepare extra for our guests?" He enquired sharply, before any of them had disappeared fully from hearing range.
Wren shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary Stephan."
The butler nodded before swiftly turning a corner out of sight.
The twins glanced to one another, and a sense of childhood joy seemed to overcome both as they broke into excited giggles.
Wren was first to calm, returning to her normally serious composure, though was moving just as quickly as her twin to their main office.
Soon enough they were before the dark oak double doors.
Each took a handle, turned, and pushed the doors in.
Sure enough, a figure stood ahead of the three chair desk, looking out the floor to ceiling windows at the city far below.
Said figure wore a hooded cloak, black as night and glistening like the stars.
A dark smoke like corona bled off the cloak, which trailed across the ground by over a foot behind them.
Wren was first to speak. "We were wondering when you'd find us, Grim."
The cloaked figures head tilted to the side to listen, before turning a bit more, revealing the bleached white skin, pulled taught over bone, and marked by patterns in black ink that danced under the skin.
Eyes, devoid of colour and life, met their own, and the features of the figure turned into a happy smile. "You're certainly not easy to find, my dears."
The twins stepped into the room, letting the doors close behind them.
Grim looked them over, a skeletal hand becoming them closer. "Please… let me get a good look at you… my girls…"
Both stepped forwards again, now within arms reach.
The skeletal hands brushed over their holoforms skin, and Grim chuckled. "My… you even have peach fuzz… Ira?"
Both nodded, Aria speaking. "How bad is home?"
The hand fell away from her cheek and Grim's expression became down cast, the ink morphing into a single tear. "The Triage, after you all… disappeared… came into the public light."
The tension in both of their holoforms bled out with a shared curse, both looking to the other in a search for strength.
Grim nodded. "Derrick is safe, he and Ivan are looking for you… all of you… of course they can't look in as many places as I can…"
Wren's expression furrowed. "When did you realise we were no longer on Earth? Our Earth?"
"Three months, the roses helped narrow it down." Grim gestured to outside the window, at the sprawling hill top estate.
Every inch not a path, garden ornament, or pool, was covered in white rose bushes.
Aria spoke then. "Grim… be honest with us… why are we here?"
Grim looked between them and sighed. "I have… at most, a very good hunch, and I think it's based on the same thing as your hunch is, the relics."
Wren hissed through clenched teeth. "We're not…"
"You have to." Grim cut off the black twin.
The fear in both of their eyes was enough for Grim's expression to soften and open her arms. "Come here…"
The hug was tight, if Grim had needed lungs they would of strained under the pressure.
Her girls were both shaking, gripping tight to her cloaked form like a vice.
Eventually they pulled away, and Grim cupped one of their cheeks each. "Forces outside of my control, and your uncle, claimed you…"
"The deal…"
"Will have to be re-written when you come home… now I've found you, I'll let your uncle know you're safe, alive and… mostly well… he's been worried sick."
The both ducked their heads into her skeletal hands.
She lifted both to look them over. "He'll certainly be happy to hear… you've found a way to split… Ira's certainly earned her keep." She chuckled half heartedly at her own joke, there was no humour in her girls though.
Both nodded, their gaze a timid hope, but one also laced with fear. "Grim… we're scarred…"
It pained the ancient being to hear her wards say that, the unison of their speech breaking as their holoforms seemed to spasm from the terror that bled through them.
"I know… I wish I could take you home… but your fates… they have been re-written…"She brought a skeletal hand to her own thin lips. "And there's nothing we can do, our hands have been bound by this force."
The twins exchanged a look before Wren spoke. "Primus?"
Grim gave a shallow nod of her own. "I don't know why… he is a celestial god, one outside of even my reach… he has a power beyond us all… and when he wishes something, there is little one can do to stop his will…"
"So… we're trapped? We have to… to accept that relic… Grim… the Matrix… we can't do that…" Aria said, her expression still one filled with terror, and eyes beginning to bead tears at the edges. "Goodness knows what the Allspark could be doing to Kia right now!"
Grim could feel the knot of empathy within her own existence, and shifted closer, pulling them both into another hug. "My dears… of every human, I have ever met, you are the two I have the most faith in… your strong, versatile, stubborn, cunning, ruthless, deceptive, I have no doubt, that, if he was here now, with you, your uncle would be so proud of you, maybe even more proud than I am…" There was another, another who would of been just as proud, if not more... she dared not mention them out loud, but the sentiment was just as well received.
The confusion in their expressions was telling, but her words were truth and only truth. "Look at you… you, Kia, Ira, you four… in two years, you've come this far… we were right to chose you, never forget that, and I think that's why Primus chose you… he believes there is no one better for this fate, even if you do not wish it… so please… stay strong… just as you always have… when you come home, we'll figure this out… But for now… it looks like you're going to have to take on the Matrix."
Both nodded, but the hesitance was still there.
Grim knew her time was drawing close, there was only so much time she could spend here, she had a multi-verse to keep watch over, to shepard the departed onwards.
Earth was her soft spot these last billion or so years, but that did not exempt her duties to the rest of the multiverse.
"I have to go…"
"We know… don't forget to tell uncle we're alright… ok? And… maybe drop a hint to Ivan next time he nearly dies?"
Grim had to chuckle at that. "Of course… take care, stay safe… I'll try and visit."
Both smiled at that, though Wren spoke with caution. "We're… going to be hosting some Autobots here soon enough… Kia and Ira don't know about this… so… don't barge in… wait for a signal maybe?"
Grim smiled at that, ever the cautious planner Wren was. "Of course, the same as always?"
"A white rose on a freshly slain corpse." Aria confirmed.
She reached up and patted both of them on the shoulders.
If she touched any other life, they'd die in an instant.
But not her girls, no, the deal she and their uncle had struck with them and the other, it exempted them from her touch of death.
And now… there was a new seal… one she could feel when she touched them, one that almost seemed to try and repel her…
Primus didn't like to share…
But there were things that the God didn't know, and she tilted her head to Wren, giving her a comforting smile. "Before I forget, how's the eye?"
Wren's eyes widened for a moment, before a smile formed, the question so familiar that it was like a warm blanket had been dropped over both twins shoulders. "Same as always Grim." It was always good to show the twins she cared when she could see them, that there were people still left in their lives that did care… even if the question was absolutely redundant, the answer known for years now.
With nothing else to say, she allowed herself to fade away, slipping back into her true state.
And once more, death came to the multiverse, after having been given a short break.
The plot thickens... 'rubs hands then claps them' Okay... so... I have no idea when I'll be able to write next, I'm in the US for work that will likely eat up the majority of my time like a starved hyena, so, please bare that in mind.
Welp, hope you all enjoyed this one, and I'll see you all when I see you, toodles!
Moon.