Author's Note: Well, this fic is drawing to a close. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There's only about one other chapter left after this. Sorry to have to say it, but it's almost over.
Disclaimer: I think you'd know by now, right?
Metal and Neon
Chapter 19: Parting Ways
Ultra Magnus walked into Metroplex's command center, brushing stray bits of sand off his armor. The desert sand got everywhere, especially when the winds were fairly strong. Nothing could be done to keep it out, and nobody had even bothered to try. They ignored it the way they ignored critters like cyber-scorpions.
"What's up, big guy?" Jazz trotted over to him. "Scuttlebutt has it that Roddy got inked."
"If you mean that he got a tattoo, then yes, he did. Not willingly, but he still got one."
"How did the Matrix react?"
"I'd say it liked the chosen design, and healed the skin once the tattoo was finished."
The special ops agent chuckled as more Autobots came over to ask if the rumors were true. Then Smokescreen's optics narrowed slightly, and he leaned closer to Magnus.
"What happened to your face?" the red and blue Autobot asked.
Magnus turned toward the nearest blank screen, using it as a mirror. He studied his reflection, reaching up to touch the four parallel scratches on his left cheek. They were narrow but deep, going through the first two layers of his armor. He made a mental note to get them fixed.
Turning back to the others, he smiled and said only one word. "Roddy."
That caused a bit of a stir to run through the crowd. Ever since Ultra Rodimus and Magnus had become an official couple, many Autobots had been wondering about their leader's "performance". Some said that since he was usually one of the more level-headed bots, he used the same approach with his work and his "skills". Others pointed out his ferocity on the battlefield, insisting that if he was that fierce when he was angry, then why should there be any difference behind closed doors? The debate had been quietly raging back and forth for years. Both Magnus and Ultra Rodimus knew about it, but neither had done anything to prove one argument or another. Sharp-eyed Autobots had never found a mark on either of them, but, considering the strength of Ultra Rodimus's armor shell, that wasn't so surprising. This was the first time anyone had ever seen signs of the pair's nocturnal activities, and they indicated that Ultra Rodimus was something of a wildcat.
"How come we never saw anything before?" someone had to ask; it sounded like Sideswipe.
"It wouldn't show because my outer armor hides it," Magnus replied blandly.
"Huh?"
"His red and blue armor is removeable," First Aid explained as he joined the crowd. "His real form looks more like a pure white Optimus, with a removeable face mask."
The proverbial light came on. Someone in the back started chuckling. The laughter slowly spread to the rest of the crowd. Then the crowd began to disperse as the chatterboxes hurried to spread the news along the grapevine.
"Spreading rumors, are we?" Ultra Rodimus joined them, carrying his helmet under one arm. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail instead of the usual braid.
"They're spreading themselves, actually," Magnus told him, pointing at the scratches on his cheek. "Not that they needed much encouragement. You got a bit carried away."
"You were asking for it," his mate informed him calmly.
Jazz bounced over. "I heard you got a tattoo. Can I see?"
The young Prime snorted and turned slightly to expose the back of his shoulder. The spiral pattern was clearly visible, red and gold against silver-grey. The red and blue stripes marking his armor stopped two fingers' width from the edge of the pattern, or curved around the top and bottom. Interrupted stripes ended there, leaving it clearly visible.
The black and white Autobot reached up to trace one of the spiral arms, then grinned widely. "It looks great."
"And I can change the color at will, same as with my stripes."
"That's a good thing. It won't compromise your camouflage." Jazz admired the skill that had gone into replicating the design. "And if you're annoyed at Mags for having it done without telling you, you could always add to it or get your ear pierced."
Ultra Rodimus shot him a look, but Jazz proved to be another of those who could withstand his glare. The smaller bot only smiled and shrugged slightly. Then he trotted away and vanished down a corridor.
"Not a bad idea," Magnus commented.
His mate's glare shifted to him. Magnus smiled, sending calm through their lifebond. After a moment Ultra Rodimus sighed and rolled his eyes.
Perceptor hurried over. "My latest readings indicate that the dimensional breach is beginning to close," he gasped out.
"Then we'd better get moving." Ultra Rodimus turned and headed out. "Call everyone in. Metroplex?"
"YES?"
"Prepare to leave."
"WILL DO, PRIME." Power began to hum through the walls as Metroplex started powering up the engines the Technobots had installed.
"Off to let everyone know we're leaving?" Magnus asked.
"Yes. I'll be back in a few minutes."
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Grissom stood outside the CSI headquarters, looking in the direction of the Autobot cities. Every Autobot in the city had abruptly left, heading back toward Metroplex and Fortress Maximus. He wondered what could have made them leave so suddenly. Then he noticed that the towers of both cities appeared to be sinking, being lowered as close to ground level as possible.
An engine rumbled. Grissom turned to see Ultra Rodimus approaching. The Autobot leader pulled over and transformed, carrying his helmet, a glitter drawing the human's eyes to the stud in the young Prime's right ear.
"I see you succumbed to your age," Nick commented as he joined his boss and lover.
Ultra Rodimus chuckled, touching his pierced ear. "Just because I'm a leader doesn't mean I can't indulge myself every now and then." He sobered. "Perceptor found that the breach that brought us here is beginning to close. If we don't leave now we'll be trapped in this dimension."
"So that's why everyone left in such a hurry," Catherine mused, climbing out of her Tahoe. "You're leaving."
"Yes. I came to say goodbye. It was a pleasure working with you."
"Likewise." Grissom offered a hand. Carefully, Ultra Rodimus shook it. "Thank you for saving our city."
The young Autobot grinned at him, then rose to his feet and transformed to his thunderbird form. The setting sun gleamed red off his feathers as he flew back toward the cities, briefly pulling up to let his wings catch and reflect the sunlight in a brilliant display of crimson and orange. Then he went into a dive and vanished.
A few minutes later, all five graveyard shift CSIs felt the ground begin to tremble underfoot. Distantly, the original group of shuttles rose into view. The trembling increased, and the steady wind carried along with it a deep, booming roar. Fortress Maximus was the first city to lift off, but Metroplex wasn't far behind. Both slowly began to follow the shuttles skyward, gaining speed as they went. The roar of their engines sounded like thunder, rattling windows with their shockwaves.
Grissom and his team watched until the shuttles were out of sight and the cities were shrinking dots in the darkening sky. Then they exchanged smiles and reentered the building.
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Ultra Rodimus stood in the middle of Metroplex's command center, his mate at his side, watching the monitors. Wisps of high-altitude clouds drifted past, and the stars were coming out in force.
"Approaching the breach," Springer reported.
On the screen, the blue-edged hole in the barrier between this dimension and their own was noticeably smaller. It looked like they'd slip through just before it closed.
"Take us in," Ultra Rodimus ordered quietly.
Metroplex shuddered slightly as he entered the breach, but his sheer size kept the twisting, writhing tunnel from shaking him too badly. Then he emerged from it, joining the shuttles and Fort Max.
"The breach has closed," Perceptor called out.
The young Prime nodded, then looked back at the monitor. "Let's go home."
To be continued...
Well, that's the last real chapter. All that's left is the epilogue, and I should be able to get that up tomorrow. So, now you can tell me what you think. Did you like the pattern I chose, Fenestrae? If anyone else wants to see the design I chose for the big guy's tattoo, give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the picture.