Maelstrom Chapter 35
The Longest Night
Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original Maelstrom Comics and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.
Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes!
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!
Maelstrom Chapter 35
The Longest Night
Part A
"Rodimus! Quit looking at me with that...that...smirk on your face! We haven't done anything yet!" Arcee snapped.
"I didn't say anything!" Rodimus said.
"No you just looked it!"
"Can't help that! I'm happy. I'm happy for all of us, but I'm really happy just for you too, 'Cee," Rodimus said.
Arcee stopped in her tracks. They were heading for yet another brainstorming session in the council chamber and she had paused to drag him out of his office before he was late again. As excited as he was about all of this, Marissa had found a nest of slavers deep in the southern dead-zone and he had been poring over the report, oblivious to the sound of his own chronometer going off right in his audio sensor.
Arcee had coughed politely from the door and his head had snapped up like a shot had gone off. Selective hearing obviously. His look of focused surprise had morphed into a huge and happy grin when he saw who it was. A simple "Thanks Arcee" would have sufficed, but he kissed her hand and took her arm as if he were escorting her to a royal waltz.
The grin hadn't faded, triggering her annoyance.
Usually though, when he smiled at you, you got the sense he was doing it all for your benefit. Today was different. Today under his mask of happiness was... more happiness.
"Thanks Rodimus," she said. "I'm excited too. A little scared, but a lot happy! I don't know...it seems like a long time since we had anything to really feel hopeful about."
"You and Springer deserve this. I'm proud of you," he told her, optics flaring.
"You showed us the way," she reminded him.
"I was just the messenger boy," he grinned.
"You and Lancer risked your lives to bring us that message Rodimus Prime, and don't think I'll forget it either," Arcee said fiercely. "Vector Sigma made all of us amnesiacs but that's over now."
Rodimus' smile contorted a bit ruefully, "It's nice to have friends again. At least maybe I made up a little ground for dumping all of our paperwork on you two."
"Stop it. You know we're glad to help. It's boring and tedious and infinite but we are glad to help. You guys should have asked for help years ago, even if we weren't fighting the war we're fighting. It's too much," Arcee said.
"Ask for help? Nah. How could we get into the Martyrdom Hall of Fame if we had help?"
"Oh! Silly me! Shall Springer and I hand your reports back over then?"
"No, no! In the spirit of self-sacrifice, Op and I have decided to let you two be in the Hall of Fame!" Rodimus intoned in his deepest, most resonating speech voice.
"That's so very generous of you," Arcee said.
"Always looking out for our people," Rodi said.
They snickered together and made it to the council chamber, where they found Springer cooling his heels by the door. Rodimus slipped Arcee's hand into his own, gave her a twirl, and handed her off to Springer like a dance partner. Springer sighed and shook his head.
"Why are you out here?" Arcee questioned her mate.
"They won't let me in without you," Springer complained. "I smell a rat."
Rodimus looked surprised, "I smell a party."
"Don't pretend you have nothing to do with it," Springer smirked.
"Actually, I've been home with the ladies," Rodimus smiled.
"A party you weren't in on? You've been domesticated!" Springer jeered.
"Just you wait Springer! Your turn is coming!" Rodimus laughed. He activated the door, "They're HERE!" he sang, somehow slipping behind his friends and giving them a push.
Cheering and applause greeted them from inside.
The gleaming walls of the council chamber were indeed littered with streamers and the confetti rained down on Springer and Arcee as they walked in. The entire command staff, including Marissa was there. Lancer was too, smug she had managed to keep this from her mate. The walls were decorated with Jazz's dubious art - depicting a robotic stork carrying a bundle with an Autobot symbol on it. The stork looked like an unfortunate cross between Swoop and Skylynx. What had them all laughing evil laughs though was the shiny metal disco ball. The sign on it read "Hit me!"
"I made a pinata!" Jazz crowed. "Free hits on Vector Sigma today! I made it strong - we should all get a few whacks in!"
He was wrong though. They drew lots to see who got the first hit. Magnus won. The ball lost. No one seemed to mind.
x
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Hours later, Optimus leaned back in his chair so far it creaked in protest. There was a small stack of empty energon cubes by his right hand.
"There'd better not be a crisis for a few hours. I overdid it," he stated unrepentantly.
Elita smirked at him and handed him another energon cube. Kup, sitting on her other side, drained yet another.
"You are pushing it," Optimus told Elita, but he took the cube and put his feet up on the conference table.
Rodimus paused behind Op's head. He and Lancer (in her exo-suit) were dancing on the crushed remnants of the pinata, as were Springer, Arcee and Jazz. (Watching Lancer and Rodi dance was...interesting for the others. On the one hand, their link and their training made them exceptionally good with each other, on the other her suit was as disturbing as always.) The young Prime looked at his partner's precariously tilted chair and said, "I could be so mean right now."
"Don't even think about it Rodi," Optimus said, glaring hazily at his partner upside down over the back of his seat.
"Now Optimus, you know that I can't help at least THINKING it," Rodimus mused, tapping his finger to his chin.
"You boys talk too much," Elita smirked, meeting Lancer's optics. Optimus' chair received a calculated push, and Rodimus got the same from his dance partner.
The girls laughed while two Primes and a chair ended up twisted around each other on the floor. Rodimus cussed at his mate. Optimus grumbled and laughed. The chair said nothing. Magnus and Marissa, who had given up dancing on the table to rest her swollen ankles (and Magnus' bruised ego - dancing was not one of his better skills), stood and applauded.
"When was the last time we did this?" Optimus wanted to know as his partner pulled him to his slightly unsteady feet.
"Had a party? When the M & M's got engaged I think," Rodimus said, righting the somewhat bent chair and offering Op a seat.
"No...had a party with just the command staff," Optimus said. He sat and put his feet back up on the table. The injured chair had a few things to say about that.
"Oh...um. Never," Rodimus said after a brief reflection.
"Why not?' Optimus wondered aloud.
"Well, first it was just you and me which is too sad for a party, then Jazz and the M &M's joined us but we were too busy, and then we were...we were..." Rodimus faltered. He didn't want to say it.
Kup, who was clearly over-energized, looked at him blearily. "We were busy turning on each other like screw-stripped starving Sharkticons. Never thought I'd live t' see the day. Chewing on each other. Even you two," he eyed the Primes. "Where is our wisdom Optimus, if you and Rodi can't be civil to each other?"
"I'm sorry, my friend," Optimus said sadly, "We let all of you down." He took a huge hit off his new cube.
"We are just going to have to party more often," Rodimus said. "Just the command staff, so we can really blow off some steam. I got more work done in another dimension where I couldn't really work than I have in a very long time."
"Did I just hear you admit that our vacation, misdirected though it was, did you good?" Optimus asked.
"Yup," Rodimus said.
"Mark the day! I declare a national holiday!" Optimus crowed.
"Er...we don't have national holidays," Rodimus pointed out.
"It'll be a first!" Optimus said with conviction.
"Ohh-Kay! You've had enough," Rodi grinned.
"Enough? Or not nearly enough," Optimus drawled.
"Now you sound like a Texan," his partner informed him gravely, as if breaking news of a fatal condition.
"No need t' be insultin'" Optimus told him, sounding more like a cowboy than ever. "Y' can quit snickerin' the both of you." He reached backwards and attempted to poke his partner reproachfully, an interesting trick given that he was again leaning back in his chair and looking at Rodi upside down. Since Rodimus was not inclined to over-energize (the brawl with Talon and Shellshock had taught him better) avoiding the poorly aimed fingers wasn't even work. He just stepped to one side and befuddled Op's aim entirely.
The senior Prime didn't notice.
"Y' don' make me furious right now," Optimus observed.
"I guess it's a start," Rodimus smiled.
"Y' gonna talk to Spike soon? Should. Sh...sh...Shellshock too. Might help 'em. You too," Optimus remarked.
"If Spike ever comes down off the Maelstrom, I probably will," Rodimus said. He and Lancer gave up the dance floor and sat down at the table, opposite Elita and Kup. Optimus did not sit up, but talked to the ceiling.
"He's still up there? What're they doin'?"
Lancer answered him, "Talking shop, I think."
"Shop?" Elita asked. She reached over and helped Optimus tilt his seat up.
"Thanks 'Lita. I got stuck," Optimus told her.
"I could see that," Elita laughed. Then she gave Lancer her attention.
"Slaver hunting. Shellshock's catching him up on stuff. I don't know exactly. None of us are allowed in 'Shock's quarters, ever. I can tell you I went by to check on them and the laughter coming out of Spike sounded pretty demented. I think Golden-Boy may have hit on Spike's hidden blood-lust," Lancer said, sounding slightly nervous.
Rodimus winced. "They may be rediscovering their friendship through a mutual need for revenge."
Optimus finished his cube in a final draught. Rodimus looked a bit jealous.
"That's not healthy," Optimus mourned.
"At least Spike is talking to someone," Rodimus whispered, his shoulder struts slumped.
"At least Shellshock is talking at all!" Lancer said. "There was a long time we were certain the Jabez had reduced his vocabulary to 'yes', 'no' , and 'go away!'"
"Hey! Buzzkills!" Springer griped from the "dance floor". "Are you done being downers? This is supposed to be a celebration for our new... er...kid!"
"Good point," Rodimus said. He got up and offered Elita his hand. "Wanna dance? Your boyfriend doesn't look up to the job."
Laughing, she accepted, and Lancer got up to give Jazz a partner. After a few minutes of mock-grumbling and enduring Rodi dipping Elita almost into his lap, Optimus was able to get enough balance back to steal his mate back from his partner.
It was many hours before the "meeting" broke up, and the Autobots on duty downstairs wondered about the command staff going back to their quarters with such ridiculous smiles on their faces.
x
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Next Day:
"Well?" Magnus asked.
"Well what?" Springer snapped.
"Well...well...er..." Magnus.
Springer knew full well what Magnus was trying to ask, was annoyed at being pestered, and not about to be helpful.
"Well well what?" Springer retorted.
"This is a fascinating conversation," Rodimus remarked dryly as he went by.
"Not helpful," Magnus told him. Rounding on his commander was much more comfortable and familiar than starting this conversation with Springer.
"Oh...he wants help! Here ya go. When asking a rude and nosy question it is better to just get it over with. For example you could say, 'Springer, I, Ultra Magnus, legendary Autobot warrior, am just dying to know if you and your lovely mate Arcee got lucky last night?!' Or you could say 'Yo! Springo? Did ya get laid or were you too over-energized and tired 'cause you're too old to party any more?' See Magnus! Rude I can help with." Rodimus beamed.
Springer and Magnus both glared.
"No one appreciates me," Rodimus said, continuing on with an armload of scientific gadgetry. They were helping Perceptor move some of the most classified projects out of his now useless storm-cellar and into new, larger rooms. The new lab had been in progress for months and wasn't quite finished yet, but the battle had forced an early relocation.
"I hate it when he does that," Magnus growled.
"Me too," Springer returned. For a moment they were unified in aggravation. Magnus hoped that would work to his advantage.
"Well?" he asked.
"Well what? YOU haven't asked me anything yet!" Springer said testily.
From up ahead of them they heard Rodi laughing and Arcee's voice floated back to them as well.
"We were too tired! Honestly Springer! Was that so difficult?"
x
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Magnus' awkward interest was far from the only intrusion the Autobot couple would have to endure over the following days, although most of the others were either politely direct or subtly probing what the hold-up was. Springer was ready to blow the head off the next person who asked, but Arcee refused to rush things. She wanted them both rested and fully healed after the fight, even though their wounds were minor and already mostly repaired. She also wanted her mate in a relaxed and happy mood.
This did not seem likely any time soon.
"Arcee! If we don't get this over with soon the Autobots are going to need a new leader!"
They had just retired to their secondary quarters in Central. Springer grabbed a buffer and started furiously attacking the scuffs all over his arms. Perceptor's awkward equipment just had to be classified didn't it? Carrying it really scuffed things up!
Arcee sighed, and looked up from the massive back-load of paper-work Silverbolt had sent her from Earth. "I'm sure Rodimus doesn't mean anything by..."
Springer interrupted her, waving the whirling buffer through the air in agitation. "Rodimus isn't the problem! Rodimus smirks but he keeps his yap shut! OPTIMUS is the one who keeps suggesting we go take a break!"
Arcee giggled. "Oh I see," she said.
"I'm glad they're all so happy for us," Springer ground out. The gears around his mandible whined in protest. "But I'm nearly ready to call the whole thing off just so they'll leave us some privacy!"
Arcee frowned. "Our privacy is going out the window once they announce what's happened. We'll be followed everywhere we go, at least until newlings become more common."
Springer groaned.
"Springer...if...if you don't want to," Arcee said. She couldn't hide how disappointed she would be, but her relationship with her mate came first.
Her mate read her body language, dropped his buffer, yanked her out of her chair, and crushed her to him. "'Cee, it'll be worth it. I may be stupid, but that kind of intrusion doesn't bother me much. Any stranger who can't back off will have to explain themselves to my blaster, but having my best friends asking about what we're doing with each other is just... just... obnoxious!"
Arcee smiled fondly at him, reached around his body and grabbed the buffer before it ran itself off the table he'd thrown it on. She shut it off and then reinstated her embrace around him.
"Opps." he said. She just smiled.
"I mean really! If they'd just give us a minute to ourselves! I don't like feeling the entire council is in here watching us like Cybertronic peeping Toms! Even Elita! She offered me some 'soothing music' today! 'Soothing!' Right! The implication that I need help getting together with you is insulting. What I need is a minute of peace and privacy!"
"Oh," Arcee smiled, "Like this one?"
"...." Springer managed.
They spent a moment just standing there, looking into each other's optics.
"Have I told you...how...amazed I am you picked me?" Springer said. "Out of everyone...all the Autobots...any of them would have been happy with you, but you picked me."
"You have, more than once, and I ask you like always...what other Autobots?" Arcee grinned. "Were there others? I didn't notice! Maybe I should go back and have a look....then I might find one who isn't so shy!"
She shrieked as he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
"I'll give you shy!" he shouted.
They forgot about what the rest of the universe wanted for a few hours.
x
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The next day First Aid opened up very early for an unscheduled but not unexpected physical exam. When he was done, per pre-made arrangements, First Aid reported his findings to Rodimus immediately in person. He had to go to Rodi's quarters where the young Prime actually was taking a pseudo -vacation, staying at home with his mate and daughters, and letting his command staff take on his duties as they had been planning on shouldering them anyway.
Rodimus let his medical officer in after the mandatory conversion scans, but he didn't need to wait for the medic to speak to know the news. First Aid's optics said it all.
Rodimus grinned, laughed, and spun First Aid around until the medic was dizzy. Then the young Prime went to gloat over the com at his partner for having the news first.
"You sure you want to do that?" First Aid asked seriously. "You two aren't on the best terms yet." The medic was still unnerved by the tension between the leaders - mostly that it had gotten so bad while he wasn't aware of it.
"Oh, I have to rub that one in. It's mandatory. Besides, I've got to remind him that it's not always what you ask, but who you ask. I knew they'd go running to you the minute they were done."
First Aid looked at him reproachfully. "Optimus and Elita are probably recharging. They were up late helping Perceptor."
"I helped too, and I'm on leave...sort of....and hey big girl! What're you doing up?" Rodimus exclaimed.
First Aid was a bit thrown by this question until he realized it was aimed at a very small, sleepy child standing in the door to Rodimus' hidden human spaces. She was disheveled, her pajamas askew and her silky red locks hung all over her face.
She looked at her father in clear annoyance. First Aid found her patently fascinating. Any Autobot familiar with Rodi would have known that expression immediately even if they'd never heard of her before.
"Daddy, can't you be happy more quietly? You are making my head hurt," Edana said peevishly.
Rodimus morphed down. "Come here," he said, picking her up when she slowly complied. "I'm sorry. Was I shouting? Did I wake you up?"
First Aid was a confused again. Rodimus hadn't raised his voice, and besides those hidden rooms were entirely soundproofed. Nevertheless, the child nodded and Rodimus kissed her and repeated his apologies.
"Give me a minute First Aid?" Rodimus asked.
The medic watched at Rodimus carried Edana past the scanners and back into the human living area. It was more like ten minutes of waiting before Rodimus came back out without his daughter. He was still clearly thrilled, but was working on controlling it.
"Lancer got her back to bed. Let's go to my main office before I wake her up again," Rodimus said.
"How did you wake her in the first place? We weren't being loud," First Aid wanted to know.
"We could have been playing trumpets and it wouldn't have bothered her," Rodimus asked. "Not through those walls."
"But she accused you of shouting," First Aid rejoined.
"It's the empathy. In my heart, I was shouting for joy," Rodimus explained.
"Shouldn't she...like happiness?" First Aid asked. What he really wanted was a full scientific scan of the child but knew Rodimus would deck him for suggesting it. Rodimus hadn't ever liked Med-Lab, even as Hot Rod, but since the Jabez he was down-right paranoid. Add to that how protective he was of his children and you had a recipe for a two-hour rant.
First Aid shuddered. He couldn't blame Rodi, even though First Aid felt the more they knew about the girls the better. The list of torture Rodimus had displayed for the council still haunted the gentle medic, even if everyone else seemed to be accepting it and moving on. Of all those present First Aid's medical training had given him the most vivid image of what Rodimus, Shellshock, and Astrotrain had endured and he could picture their pain all too clearly. He was glad for the distractions of Ratchet's "return" and the reproduction problem. Every time he had a moment to catch his breath, horror caught up with him.
Rodimus shrugged, "She does like happiness, but any emotion will disturb her if it's 'loud' enough and she's not braced for it. She's getting better at holding her shields up in her sleep, but Claudia says she doesn't quite have it yet."
They reached his formal office and went in. Rodimus bounced his way to his com. He grinned at First Aid. "I'd much rather wake Op up with this news than my kid! He may try to blast me, but a cranky Edana means a cranky Lancer and I'll take an annoyed Op over that any day!"
"Can't blame you there, just leave me out of it!" First Aid said.
"As if I would," Rodimus said indignantly. He punched the com, laughing madly, "OPTIMUS! First Aid says it's time to get rolling!"
For once, First Aid seriously considered his pacifistic life-style a burden.
x
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The next day Elita gathered a few members of her old team and quietly told them the news, as well as a well crafted lie about Vector Sigma's approval and aid. They bought every word about the super-computer giving hints about where to search and eagerly accompanied her down into the empty heart of Cybertron. They wandered in circles for hours, braved old (recently set) traps, fought some drones (controlled by Lancer via remote control), and got really "lost" before they stumbled upon the elaborate set Rodimus and Jazz had engineered in an old Quint section of the planet. The area really was a Quint area. It even had some ancient records of early Cybertronians. The command staff just threw in a few artfully designed extras.
All this lying just to bring their people the truth.
Elita's team would be remembered for many things over the years, holding out against the Decepticon occupation for so long already made them revered among the Autobots, if not the Paradronians, but this "find" would top the list. The site would be regarded as nearly holy (or unholy, depending on which side you took).
Elita would always be glad she was good at schooling herself away from bitterness.
CONTINUED IN PART B