Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, but I was stricken by writer's block, and I had to finish something else I'd been working on so I could get it out of my head. That being said, on to the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. Ultra Rodimus and one version of Shadow (the one without the faceplate) belong to me. The other version of Shadow (with a faceplate) belongs to my co-author, shadow dragon04. Everybody else belongs to people who have a lot more money than we do.

For a moment, there was silence as the two female Autobots stared at each other in complete disbelief. Then the one who'd just walked in, the one who wasn't wearing a facemask (whom Ultra Rodimus privately dubbed 'Shadow 1'), did a brief impression of a fish out of water before she managed to find her voice again. "Wha…?"

That seemed to jar the other, Shadow II, the one with the facemask, out of her stunned trance. "What the hell is going on here?" they demanded in perfect unison.

Ultra Rodimus burst out laughing. Both femmes turned to look at him, Shadow II giving him a glare, the other staring at him out of eyes that looked more than a little hysterical.

"And just what is so funny?" Shadow 1 demanded, voice rising slightly in pitch. "Who in Primus's name is that, and where did she come from?"

The Autobot leader finally managed to calm down. "Another dimensional breach. A couple of years ago, I ended up in her universe. That's where I met her. She's your dimensional twin."

"You mean she's a copy of me?"

"Not a copy. You and she are the same person. You just happen to live in different realities, with different experiences and different people around you. Somewhere out in the countless billions of other universes that exist, there are twins to every Autobot who has ever existed. I've met a few. There are even dimensional counterparts of me out there somewhere."

"And the very thought of encountering one gives me the chills," Magnus murmured. "One of you is enough; I don't think this universe would survive two."

Ultra Rodimus looked mock-offended, and then deliberately ignored him. He eyed the two femmes for a moment. "Why don't you show your twin around Iacon? She might be here for some time while we work on a way to get her home."

His bodyguard shot him a look that clearly said "I'll get you for this". He only smiled in response. Then she reluctantly turned and left, her pet cyber-wolf and dimensional twin following.

"Methinks those two are going to mix like oil and water," Magnus commented, leaning against the back of his lover's chair.

Ultra Rodimus grinned up at him. "I can't help wondering how Mirage is going to react to this."

"It's gonna be interesting, to say the least."

Despite herself, Shadow II was impressed by what she saw. Iacon was a well-designed and well-built fortress. Living quarters were in the complex's interior, with the Prime's personal chambers in the center. The medical bays were also positioned deep inside, where they could not be reached even by the fiercest of sieges. Closer to the outer walls were the armories and training rooms on the lower levels, the commanders' offices and briefing rooms on the upper levels. Most of the outer sections were storage bays, empty spaces that provided a barrier between any attackers and the city core. The complex was surrounded by an immense wall, the scars pitting its outer surface testaments to the long years it had protected the complex and everyone who lived inside.

Whoever designed this place really knew what they were doing, she thought to herself.

"I don't see any other femmes here," she commented conversationally.

"There are only two of us in Iacon, myself and Arcee," was the response. "The others have their own base hidden somewhere outside the city."

"Outside? Why?"

"They are an elite raiding force, working mainly in hit-and-run tactics. Very rarely are they seen on the surface for more than a few minutes. Because of that, they live outside Iacon."

Shadow II chewed on that for a moment. "Then why are you here?"

"Because I choose to be," her twin answered. "I'm not much interested in stealth. I'd rather face the Decepticons openly."

"And what do the others think?"

"The other femmes don't mind at all. And the males know that I'm every bit as fierce a fighter as they are." Shadow 1 flicked her twin a toothy grin. "I can whip just about any male in this army, and they know it."

"You seem quite close to Ultra Rodimus," Shadow II mused.

"He's a friend."

"Just a friend?"

Her twin glared at her. "I know what you're insinuating. I'm not with him. He's not interested in females. Besides, he's already mated. Ultra Magnus is his lifemate. I'm his bodyguard."

"His bodyguard?" Shadow II repeated.

"Yep."

Before either of them could say another word, the door to one of the training rooms opened, and a bot stepped out. He was blue and white, his alternate mode clearly some kind of car, and there was a launcher on his shoulder. Blue optics fixed on Shadow 1, and he grinned at her.

"Heya," he greeted. "Didn't think I…" He caught sight of the femme standing behind her and froze, optics going so wide they looked like they were about to pop out. Unable to stop staring, he floundered for words. "But… who…?"

Shadow 1 touched his arm. "Ultra Rodimus says she's my dimensional double, from another universe," she told him. "She came through a dimensional breach."

He still looked spooked, but he nodded to her that he understood.

"So, you gonna introduce us?" Shadow II asked.

"He can probably guess your name," her twin shot back. "This is Mirage. He's my boyfriend."

"You've got a boyfriend?" Shadow II studied the blue and white male curiously.

Her twin nodded. Then all three heard shouting from outside. They exchanged glances, and then raced out to see what else was going on.

The dimensional breach had opened again. When Shadow II saw who had come through this time, her jaw dropped so far she felt it smack the bottom of her mask.

"Optimus?" she gasped out.

Optimus looked around from where he and the rest of the rescue party had come through the dimensional breach on hearing his name being said and saw his sister. "Shadow," he said, seeing her standing there safe without a scratch on her paintwork.

Shadow walked toward him "Wha...What are you doing here?" She asked, looking from Optimus to Kup, Rodimus and Ironhide.

"We came through to find you, commander," Ironhide answered, stepping forward and pointing at Shadow slightly, causing some of the surrounding Autobots from Ultra Rodimus's dimension to start talking amongst themselves.

Shadow I gaped at her dimensional twin on hearing this. "You. You're the Commander of the Autobot army in your dimension?" she asked, looking as if her eyes would pop out of her head at any second.

Shadow II nodded. "I'm Co-Command alongside my brother," she replied, causing everyone to look to Optimus and murmur amongst themselves again.

Kup and Rodimus glanced to each other slightly. "You'd think they had never seen a female commander before," Kup said, chuckling slightly.

Mirage stepped up beside Shadow I. "But just who are they? What are your names" he said, addressing the whole rescue team that had just come through the dimensional breach….

Tbc…

And there's chapter 3. Now please send us some reviews. We know you're reading this fic, so tell us what you think of it. Remember, reviews fuel updates. But no flames, please. Flames will be used to roast Unicron on a spit.