The Diego Diaries: Twin (dd6 456)
NOTE: Sorry this didn't go out last night. I was so tired I didn't dare put this new thread forward without a clear mind. :D Note replies going out today. :D:D
-0-Elsewhere at the same time
He sat in his office in The Residence looking through things that had transpired since he had 'left'. Now that they were 'back', he was busy. No one had attempted to fill the gap while he was indisposed. He didn't expect it to happen. In fact, it never crossed his processor. His people were his. He was theirs and they were his. The sound of peds falling on the hard stone floors echoed into his reverie. He looked up in time to see Prowl walk into the room with more work. Sitting back, he thought about the past few orns and how he had been lost. "Is that more work? How long were we gone this time?"
"Months. Our chronometers said three orns but it was three months time past here." Prowl put work on the desk, then looked at Prime. "The priests are in control. If this happens again, it will be handled."
"They don't appear to be at unrest," Prime said.
"No. They believe in you and they reverence you. I believe they feel you are on some sort of retreat that only you can fathom."
"I am unclear what this is but Perceptor, Jhiaxus and the others are hard at it. Perhaps it is something to do with that aspect," Prime mused. Then he winked out of sight.
Prowl stared at the empty sight, shocked and stunned at the instantaneous change, then he walked to the chair to sit. He would stay there for joors waiting for him to come back. When he didn't, he would call the priests together and they would handle any fears among the population. Prowl would handle everyone else. It would be a tense wait for the inexplicable return of their god. Then Prowl would disappear, too.
-0-In the conference room
They left, all of them clear about their responsibilities. Everyone who stayed watched them go. Hardie grinned. "You do know that they need to sit that boy down and have a long talk. This sentence should facilitate that."
"You mean like Atar did with me?" Ironhide asked with a smirk at the force of nature called his father.
"Rub it in," Blackjack said. "I lead by example."
"And what a fine example it is, infant," Turbine said with a grin.
Blackjack preened. "It is isn't it."
"I can't complain," Alie said as he winked at the others.
Ratchet grinned. "Okay. Now that we've got a deeper appreciation of how weird you slaggers are, what's next on the agenda?"
Almost on cue, a buzzer beeped. "Prowl here."
:Prowl, this is Devcon. Did Prime leave the Center yet?: the voice asked.
"No. Why?" Prowl replied.
:Well, we just passed him heading toward The Fortress. That shouldn't have happened: Dev replied.
Everyone glanced at each other, then rose as one. "On our way, Dev. Follow but not conspicuously."
:On it. Dev out:
Prime hurried out followed by the others. Reaching the street, they almost collided together as nearby crossing at the junction, a huge figure the size and design of Optimus was heading their way followed discreetly by Devcon and Smokescreen. "What the frag," Prowl whispered. "Spread out. Be ready for anything."
The figure came up the sidewalk toward the Center, then slowed to stop when he saw the unlikely figure of Optimus Prime watching him from a crowd of mechs he knew. The crowd of mechs looked ready to pull their weapons and fire so he walked forward slowly, his servos in plain sight. Reaching the group, he halted in front of his doppelganger. They stared at each other, looking the other over with a tense silence. Then the stranger glanced around himself. "What is this place? Who are you?" he asked in the voice of Optimus.
"I am Optimus Prime and this is my colony, Autobot City on Mars. Who are you?" Optimus asked as Prowl stepped closer.
He glanced from Prowl to Prime. "I am Optimus Prime. I do not know how I got here but I am."
It was then that the Optimus Prime of Autobot City disappeared.
It was also when the massed guns of the posse with him flipped up and pointed nearly all at once at the Optimus Prime of who knew where who remained.
-0-Optimus Prime of Autobot City
It seemed to wilt, the images around himself, then they returned to view. He looked around himself with surprise, then froze. He was in Iacon. It was beautiful, without blemish, though there were a few different places than he could remember. As he turned slowly to look, he froze. There was a giant statue of himself standing in the open plaza before him, one of him looking benevolent and poised. It was at that moment that everyone there saw him, then froze themselves. It was also the moment that all of them bowed nearly as one.
-0-On the street
Prowl pointed his gun at Prime's skull. "Don't move an inch."
Prime froze in place as more guns came closer. He could maybe grab one and get a shot off but it would be suicidal to try. He was nothing if not clear minded about things around himself. He looked at Prowl. "I am no more clear on what is happening than you are. I have no idea where this place is."
"Where is our Optimus?" Prowl asked with murder in his voice.
"I do not know," the double said. "I was in my residence, then I was here."
"Just like that," Prowl said.
He nodded. "Just like that."
"Cuff him, Springer. Bring him to the conference room. I want every physicist and scientist in the colony to party line with us. Wherever our Prime is, we'll get him back. Know that, slagger."
He didn't argue nor did he fight the cuffs, though he could have and might have in other circumstances. However, this was coming more and more often, leaving his own reality for somewhere else, though this was the first time he had come alone. Even though he had heard messages with this Prime's voice when his fleet was last lost, he had not seen the source until now. He was as mystified as everyone else. He walked under heavy guard to The Fortress drawing stares of shock from the elders. Drift had cleared the rec room and they walked through it to the conference room swiftly and without incident.
Entering, they pulled a chair and he sat. Prowl walked to the front of the room and turned on a big monitor. "Wheeljack and Perceptor, we have an incident," Prowl said before he disappeared.
The room was leaden with surprise, then Hardie jumped up. Glancing around, he focused on Prime. "Where did he go?"
"I do not know. I have my teams working on this but I am not clear at all," this Prime said.
Hardie glanced at Springer. "Find his Prowl. If this follows the same pattern, then he's going to show up somewhere."
Springer nodded, then walked out with Drift to trace Prowl's pattern and transponder wherever he was.
Where that Prowl had landed was Kaon HQ. He stood in Prowl's office with surprise. Glancing around, noting that not all of the language on the computer screen nearby was legible to him, he pulled his gun and walked to the door. Glancing out, he slipped into the corridor and stealthed his way to the elevator nearby.
-0-Out there
Prowl blinked, then looked around himself. He was on a plaza and nearby, a crowd had gathered. They were talking to someone. Walking closer, he gasped as he saw Optimus. He was being touched and everyone there was enraptured with him. Jogging to the edge of the square, he stared with rising internal discord at the sight.
Prime was holding a child as its genitors rapturously chatted with him. Others were touching him, taking the grace of such to themselves. It reminded Prowl of watching more strict practices touching the statue of their personal god in the shrines. It was a grace moment and many believed it was helpful. Thus, many would touch Prime when he passed by them as the First Disciple of Primus. He turned to the side to listen to someone, then noticed Prowl. Staring at him, he gestured for Prowl to come.
Prowl glanced around, then did. Walking to the crowd, he watched as Prime gently disengaged, then walked to him. "Come with me," he said, then began to walk to a cab stand nearby. Entering, they both sat down across from each other in silence. "What are the names of the children?" Prime asked.
"Miracle, Sojourner, Solus, T-Bar, Rambler, Bluestreak, and Spirit," Prowl replied.
Prime relaxed a bit, then glanced around. "I do not know where we are. This is Iacon and it is not. We are somewhere else. Which means-"
Prowl nodded. "We have your doppelganger in custody." He looked around. "What now? My doppelganger is either still here or somewhere back there. What kind of beings are these? How much more different than us are they? Who are we here? Bad or good?"
"We will find that out when we get to The Residence. From there, we search the databases," Prime said as they disappeared into the traffic of the city.
-0-Prowl
He stood on the steps staring out into what was obviously the plaza of Kaon. He was astonished. It was blighted in all directions with notable segments of rebuilding, many of them blocks of dazzling towers going up into the sky to disappear into the darkness. There was sounds everywhere, ships coming and going, construction and traffic. He subbed his gun, noted his Autobrand matched the one on the flag nearby, then stepped down the stairs. As he did someone ran up to him. "Prowl!" they called.
He froze, then turned tensely to wait. A mech stopped before him and handed him a datapad. "I'm glad you're here. You saved me a trip to Mars. Here's the data that Prime wants. You can grab a shuttle to go there. Thanks for the solid," he said with a grin, then turned to run back inside the building. It said 'Autobot Headquarters, Central Command, Kaon, Cybertron'. He stared at it, then the datapad which had writing that was only partly familiar. He looked at the shuttles parked nearby, then walked to them. Climbing inside, he noted a pilot reading a book. "Take me to Mars."
The pilot nodded, put down his book, then lit the ship up. They rose upward, flew toward a line up and waited until a gigantic space bridge opened. They flew inside, a slightly bored pilot and a tense, wary and completely confused Prowl.
-0-The Fortress
They stared at Prime, then Raptor glanced at his father. "In the rank of order, Atar, you're next in command of the whole operation with Prowl and Prime gone."
Hardie glanced at him, then nodded. "I know," he said as he sat down. "Tell me everything you know. It's apparent to me that you're not from these parts."
Perceptor, Wheeljack and several scientists from Sciences walked in, then began to scan the silent figure of the slightly different Optimus sitting at the table. His colors were slightly less flamboyant and his etchings were only half legible. There were symbols on his armor and painted into his scheme that no one understood beyond that they were symbolic and had meaning to Prime. Otherwise, outwardly he was the same. At a microscopic level, he wasn't.
"I am Optimus Prime, the Prime of Cybertron and the Empire. I was sitting in my residence when I suddenly came here. I have no idea how it happened or why. That is all I can tell you. I was home and now I am here," he said.
"And Prowl? Do you have one yourself?" Hardie asked.
Prime nodded. "I do. I do not know where this one went. I have no idea how any of this works."
"What is your family situation in your own dimension?" Hardie asked. He glanced at Wheeljack. "We are dealing with dimensions, correct?"
"Given that he's slightly askew from us energetically, I'd say that's a good start on what's happening," Wheeljack said grimly.
Hardie looked at Prime. "All that you can tell us will help us resolve this problem."
Prime considered that. "I have genitors who live with me. I have no other family."
"And Prowl? What is your relationship with him?" Hardie asked.
"He is my second-in-command, my partner in governance," Prime said. "I can take it there is a point to these questions?"
Hardie nodded. "Prowl is bonded to Prime here. They have children, seven to be exact."
Prime considered that. "I see. That will come as a surprise to Prowl and Jazz then when I get back."
Jazz started. "Prowl and me? A bond? I don't see it myself." He glanced at the others. "No offense. I just see Prime and Prowl, that's all."
Hardie considered that. "This is fragged," he said quietly as he considered their conundrum. "What sort of leader are you? What of the Decepticons?"
Prime considered that. "What Decepticons?" he asked.
-0-The Residence
He walked in with Prowl, nodding back as those who worked there nodded in respect to him. Entering the residential portion of his house, he bumped into his genitors. They turned to him from gathering their bags and smiled. "Orion, you came here early."
Prime stared at them, then nodded. "I did."
"We're going to the lake house with your ammas and appas, Orion. Thank you for being such a good son and letting us use the house. We will see you in two orns then," Kestrel said as he hugged Optimus. Prime hugged Tagg, then watched them wave as they walked out the door. Prime stared at them.
"Optimus? Are you alright?" Prowl asked as he squeezed his servo.
"My ammas and appas, Prowl. Wherever this is … they live," he whispered with emotion.
-0-TBC 8-30-18 edited 8-31-18
A note: Prowl and Jazz are about the most common pairing in the fandom. ;)