Chapter 2
Roadside Rendezvous
There it was again, that little zone in her nape burning like a small hell. It had become a recurrent pain, as familiar as all the arguments she and Rick had had lately. Ada knew that she could never afford to remain silent when something annoyed her, just as Rick couldn't avoid being an asshole. She was starting to see a vicious circle there.
She took her left hand to the buzzing spot on her neck, keeping the right one on the steering wheel. The radio wasn't helping, monotonously reciting the comings and goings of Senator Rick Connor. If they knew the kind of jerk he was… Maybe they did, but not as well as she did.
She stepped on the accelerator, frowning as the memories of the goddamn Senator returned to her mind. She had to be insane to have become engaged to Mr. Corruptus in Extremis, as his political enemies liked to call him. She was aware that she was the envy of the city's aristocratic women, but Ada Stamos was one of the few girls who were not impressed by diamonds.
Not that the diamond gracing the golden band around her ring finger wasn't pretty as it caught the lights of the city streets, but she couldn't help but wonder why she had accepted it in the first place. How many times had she asked herself that question in the last twelve months, and in particular, the last six?
Her hand still on the steering wheel, she began to turn the ring around on her finger with her thumb, a nervous habit which always seemed to unconsciously accompany the pain in her neck. If only Rick would just disappear from view every now and then, as the diamond did as it moved around her finger, then perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. If she didn't have to hear his voice on the radio or television, didn't have to see his face in the papers, on the steps of the senate, in their bed after a long night of drinking and politics...
"...quite frankly, Senator Welker wouldn't know what to do with a budget surplus if he was drowning in one. But we won't have to worry about that, given Welker's excessive over-spending on foreign aid this year. If only that money had been spent on defence..."
And there he was again, slick and slimy as he always was with the journalists. Ada let out a frustrated tsk and reached across to the radio, switching it to another station. The horrific dance music that suddenly blared from the speakers was almost as much an insult as Rick's voice; Ada fumbled to find another station.
"...your accusations are out of order! Let me tell you something about corruption, Mr. Jones. I, Rick Con—"
Ada couldn't help but glare at the radio as it fell silent. Was it simply impossible to escape that man?!
She looked up at the road again, and immediately slammed on the breaks.
It was instinctive. Her brain still didn't have all of the information regarding what her eyes were seeing when the screeching of the tires became the only thing she could hear. Panic had a funny way of behaving; whether you surrendered to it and made a big mess even bigger, or you actually managed to handle yourself. Ada belonged to the second group, as she veered and managed to avoid hitting the two men in the middle of the street.
The two naked men, she thought as her brain processed the scene before her headlights.
The first thing she thought, not without being disturbed, was that they were having sex in the middle of the street. But then she noticed that they seemed to be hurt, especially the one kneeling, who was also the one bleeding the most. The one lying on the ground didn't look so bad, though, but she couldn't see much because he was in fetal position and apparently suffering a lot of pain.
But bloody and pained or otherwise, Ada couldn't suppress the anger that bubbled up inside of her as her initial fear subsided. Did they want to get themselves killed, or worse, some innocent driver like herself?!
Any other day and she would have just driven away, perhaps throwing a few choice words in their direction as her expensive, black Mercedes sped away from them. Unluckily for them, they chose the wrong day to do...whatever they were doing...in the street.
Ada opened the car door and stepped out, the streetlights bathing her in harsh light. The two men looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes akin to a deer trapped in the headlights – or a Senator in the witness stand – the one lying on the ground struggling to rise.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" her anger cried, totally forgetting about her elite education. "I could have killed you!"
The kneeling one – black, messy hair and two dark eyes that seemed to scan her – got to his feet, apparently feeling no shame for his stark nudity.
He didn't get far, though, as his lover or whoever it was grabbed him by the leg. That gesture alone seemed enough to contain him.
"We…" the fallen one said with deep, beautiful voice. "We were attacked… robbed."
"I can tell," Ada said. She discarded her first thought about those two being lovers when she noticed their resemblance. They had to be brothers. "Are you guys okay?"
That was one stupid question. They looked hurt and she feared that they had been more than just robbed. Fortunately, due to Rick's job, she knew where rape victims could receive immediate assistance.
The elder one, now on his knees and with one hand covering his crotch, seemed to share the awkward feeling of her question. "Um, we…"
Ada shook her head. "Sorry, that was a dumb thing to ask," she said, turning her head aside in an attempt to give them some privacy – although the younger guy didn't seem to have any problem with his lack of clothes, as he remained standing nude and proud. "I can take you somewhere where you can get help."
"Did you hear that, TC? Maybe we can get back to our real bo—"
A punch silenced him, or at least that was what Ada could tell from the sound. She had it clear now that the elder one called the shots.
"That...ahh...that won't be necessary," he said with his deep voice.
"But TC—"
The younger man was once again cut off with what sounded like another punch. Ada couldn't help but cringe at that – why was it that men always resorted to violence these days? Still, there was no denying the obvious trouble these two were in, nor could she ignore the uncertainty she had heard in the older guy's voice.
"Ow, you slagger!"
Ada turned her head slightly and stole a glance at the bloodied pair, just in time to see the younger one cuff his companion upside the head.
She was no expert in the matter, but on closer inspection those two definitely didn't look like rape victims – she doubted they would be hitting one another like that for a start. That took some weight off her shoulders, but still she had gotten into a serious mess.
"I'll call the police," she said, reaching out to the open door of her car. "If you were robbed, they should know about it. You could also use a visit to the hospital—"
She didn't know in which moment the older one – TC – had gotten up. She only knew that there was a hand on the door of her Mercedes, and that she had the bluest eyes she had ever seen looking straight at her face.
"That won't be necessary," he said, once again surprising her with those perfect harmonics.
"B-but you… were robbed…" she stammered, his proximity making her nervous. Don't look down, don't look down…
"We don't want any trouble, okay," he said, those blue eyes staring so intently at her that Ada felt he might burn her. "Just...just get back in your car and drive away."
And then suddenly, the younger one was there beside him, grabbing his arm, a slight look of...was that lust...in his strangely violet eyes.
"TC, maybe she can help us," he said, those eyes slowly beginning to roam. "We don't know where we are and we have nothing to help us...and I don't know about you but I hurt like slag and could really use some pain killers, you know?"
The sound of her own heartbeat returned to her ears as her earlier fear resurfaced again; there was nothing in his words but the way in which the young man was closing in on her – not to mention looking at her – made her feel a little threatened. The nudity didn't help either.
There was something very odd about them. Aside from the obvious, the way they talked just didn't sound right.
Fear resurfaced when she found herself surrounded by the strange couple. She had been very quick to suspect that they may have suffered sexual abuse, but she had been terribly slow to realize that she could be the one in danger.
She had never been so relieved to hear police sirens. Her companions, however, didn't seem to share her thoughts.
"Frag!" the younger one said. "Those law enforcers again!"
Okay, now her second suspicion was taking shape. The police looking for two bloodied, nude young men sounded pretty logical.
"I…" she said, clearing her throat. "I didn't see you guys, okay? I never stopped my car, and I definitely have no idea of what you are up to." She tried to close the door but TC's firm grip didn't allow her to move it an inch. "Please…" she said when fear became a clear reality.
"We are not going to hurt you." His voice was so calm and deep that it sounded like truth. Still…
"Besides, they're the ones who robbed us!" the younger one said behind her. "Those police guys!"
Ada raised a suspicious eyebrow. Police assaulting people was not such a strange thing those days, but that modus operandi just didn't sound right.
"I don't want any trouble," she tried to sound reassuring, especially to herself. "Not with you, not with the police…" She cast a hopeful look at her purse inside the car. "Would five hundred dollars be enough to send you guys on your way? I can also lend you something to wear. I have a blanket in my trunk…"
TC grabbed her by the arm, but his severe eyes were looking to the distance. "That's a generous offer, but I'm afraid you're confusing us with simple thieves."
"Yeah, we're Elite Seek—" the younger one said, only to receive an elbow right in the middle of his face. "Frag, TC! Since when did you become so violent? Now you finished breaking my—"
"A ride to our destination is something that we would appreciate instead," TC continued as if he hadn't just hit his brother. "What he said is true. The law enforcers… the police assaulted us. I don't have time to explain now, but we would be very thankful if you'd take us out of harm's way."
Ada hesitated. She didn't buy those weird nude guys' act at all, but the proximity of red and blue lights was equally disturbing. She could only imagine how much the 'Senator Connor's fiancée caught with two naked male prostitutes' headline would affect Rick's career.
Her eyes moved to the younger of the two men, now holding his nose as blood snaked through his fingers and what could only be construed as the strangest curse words she'd ever heard spilled from his lips. That in itself should have been enough to convince her that the headlines were the safer option, but as she looked up into the blue eyes of TC, she realised that he wasn't really giving her an option.
"Fine," Ada said as she stepped back and gestured for TC to get into the car, desperately hoping that his definition of 'thankful' didn't include the violence he was so obviously fond of. Certainly, the alternate headline 'Senator Connor's fiancée brutally raped and murdered' would have a more 'positive' impact on Rick – it was always hard for the people to hate someone that had suffered a tragic loss – but for her, it was the worst possible outcome.
"Wait a minute," Ada said with frustration, stopping the younger man as he attempted to climb into the car. "I don't need you bleeding all over my car."
She reached into the back seat and pulled out the white shirt Rick had left in there earlier that day after demanding that she bring him a fresh change of clothes and 'that blue tie the cameras love'.
"Use this," she commanded, shoving the garment into his hands before ushering him into the car.
She took her place in the driver's seat under the scrutinizing look of TC. He looked all around before sitting beside her. She noticed that he was taller than his brother, and definitely taller than Rick. He had also the tightest abs she had ever seen, and his ass…
She shook her head, reminding herself to keep her gaze up. What are you doing? You're Senator Rick's Connor wife to be. You can't think about the ass of one of the two naked guys in your car!
"Please, cover yourself with this," she said, laboriously taking off her black two thousand dollar coat and extending it to her right.
TC didn't say anything, but he accepted the garment. Now that decency had been more or less restored, she felt a little less nervous.
"So, you're TC, right? And that would be short for…?"
He attempted to close the coat around himself before responding. "Just TC. My friends call me that."
He was as curt and serious as Ada's first impression of him had been. As curt and serious as a nude guy can be, she thought.
"And you are…" she said, looking to the reflection of TC's brother in the rear mirror.
"Me?" the black haired young man said, smiling with perfect teeth. "Oh, I'm Asshole."
She frowned and came close to hitting her back tire on a corner. Was that jerk teasing her?
"You don't say… So that's your name?" she decided to play the game.
"That's what that human called me twice—"
"Is it so important that you know our denominations?" TC interrupted, piercing her with that deep, ocean-blue gaze of his. "I don't remember you telling us your name either."
Ada's fingers tightened around the steering wheel as she cast a look in TC's direction before returning her attention to the road again. She felt like a fool for getting herself into such a dangerous position, and the thought of revealing her identity didn't make her feel any better. It was no secret that there were a lot of people out there who would be more than happy to take advantage of her simply to get at Rick, be it via blackmail or otherwise.
Still, she could feel those blue eyes on her, waiting for an answer, and couldn't help but feel her fear rising again. What if she refused, would TC become violent again?
"It's Ada," she finally responded, cursing herself as she did so.
"Ada," she heard him saying her name, as if studying it. "As you already know, I like to be called TC, and my brother's name is Jon. I apologize for the oddity of our first encounter, but I tell the truth when I say that meeting you has been very helpful for us."
No shit. "Uh-huh… So where are we going?"
"Does your vehicle fly? Is it water resistant?" violet eyes asked from the back seat.
Okay, so he was a joker, big deal. "No, that would be my other car. You said that you would appreciate it if I took you to your destination. Where would that be?"
"Erm, do you happen to know Sean… what the slag was his other name, TC? Latte?"
A yellow convertible drove beside them, the young women inside starting to yell and whistle when they noticed that the two guys inside were wearing very few clothes. Ada stepped the accelerator and lost them.
"I live ten minutes from here," she said after a silence, enough for her to realize that those guys would make her drive randomly through the entire city, thus increasing the chances of getting caught and becoming the star of that infamous first page of the morning paper. "Since I take it you are not interested in going to a hospital, perhaps I could take you home, help you to clean up your wounds and lend you some clothes. Then you could be on your way."
"Slag yes," Jon replied for TC, once again using his strange expression. "All this red stuff is starting to get sticky and uncomfortable, ya know. And my head hurts…like, bad."
From the corner of her eye, Ada saw TC glance back at his brother. She too looked back, using her rear view mirror, and couldn't help but feel a little disturbed at the site of Jon scrutinizing the bloodied shirt he'd pulled away from his bruised nose. There was a strange look in his deep, violet eyes, as if he had never seen that much blood before.
"Yes," TC finally said, not seeming to show any concern for his brother's well being. "That would be good."
Ada sighed, trying to exile the thought – more like a certainty – that it was a very stupid idea to take them to her home, not only because of her own safety but because of the Rick factor. No matter what she did now, she had gotten into big trouble.
It was going to be a long night. Definitely.
To be continued.
Sorry that we took some time to update this story, but you know the story of our lives: our schedules are a mess and sometimes it gets really hard to catch each other on line and work on our joint stories - yeah, we write our chapters during our weekend chats.
We hope you enjoyed this second chapter written by our hormones. Now, there are some things we would like to point out. The 'Corruptus in Extremis' reference was taken from The Simpsons. Major Diamond Quimby, anyone? ;o) We both love that show, so it would be needless to say that we couldn't resist using that.
If you are also reading 'Fleshling', the mother of this story, you must have noticed that we like to use names and last names of actors that gave their voices to the G1 Transformers. We are using the name Frank in 'Fleshling', and now we borrowed the last name Welker for a little bit - partly because he also voiced Ratbat, who was a senator in some continuities. By the way, Mr. Frank Welker, I want to take the opportunity to say that we are completely in love with you. Would you marry us?
And 'Mr Jones' comes from Mr Buster Jones, who voiced Blaster...who being a key voice on the airwaves of Cybertron probably interviewed a few senators in his time.
As for Thundercracker naming Skywarp 'Jon', that was also a reference to a series we both adore, 'Game of Thrones', although we prefer the books over the TV series. In the IDW comics, TC became a huge fan of human television, so we thought it would be kind of natural that he would be aware of GoT and pick one of the names there for Skywarp, as much as Jon Snow has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with our dear black Seeker.
Also, when Skywarp said the name 'Sean Latte' he was talking of Sean Latta, which is the name Starscream is using during his human experience.
Okay, we're done with author notes that most likely were useless, but still we wanted to point them out. We are already working on the third chapter of this story, so it will be up really soon. Many thanks for your support and don't forget to leave a comment before leaving.