Nexus. Somewhere in the townish part. Bumblebee, meet Jabez.
"And here's the Nexus. You've been here before." Ratchet looked around with a grin as he and his new working partner appeared in the midst of the habited area near the sign.
"Yeah." Bumblebee grinned, his bright blue eyes twinkling as he rubber-necked a little. "It doesn't feel so scary this time."
"Heh. Having the proper connections helps." Ratchet gave him a gentle shove, then paused and lifted a browplate toward Blue's.
"Found Galvatron and Cyclonus," noted Bumblebee softly.
"Primus said they were having fun. I don't wanna imagine the snark that's going on around that table."
"Who's that they're playing with?" Bumblebee tilted his head curiously.
"A Wolverine. She lives in the Nexus." Ratchet heard another sparksong ripple into existence and grinned.
"Hey...." Bumblebee looked around. "That sort of sounds like me."
"Sort of," said Ratchet, then put a hand on his small friend's head and pointed his face toward the roof of a nearby brownstone.
"...Who's she?" The yellow mech blinked at sight of the slender, sky-blue Seeker who stood up there watching the two of them curiously. "And why does she look so funny?"
"She doesn't look funny." Ratchet shook his head a bit, smiling. "For her set of realities she's a little beauty."
"Ohhh, the spiky ones that Galvatron's... mentioned?" Understanding clears a little of the puzzlement from Bumblebee's face as he calls out to the young Seeker spark to spark.
Then he gasped with understanding as she responded and hopped down to come and see them. "No way...."
"Yes way," said Ratchet, chuckling. "Bumblebee, meet your alternate daughter, Jabez."
"But... Starscream?" Bumblebee blinked and looked bewildered.
"Don't ask," said Jabez in her abnormally soft voice as she reached them.
"I'm not going to. Don't worry." Bumblebee looked up at her, amazed and wondering.
"Uncle Bumblebee?" she offered, her exotic face quirking a smile.
"Heh." His smile returned, though the wonder and awe continued. "That sounds good to me. But... you're just a kid...."
She nodded and shared wordlessly the story of her demise, unwittingly giving a few scenes from her life as well.
"Oh man." Bumblebee hugged her impulsively.
"Hey," she said, with his own earnestness. "I'm okay. Everything's good now."
"No it's not," he said softly, looking up. "You shouldn't have to wait till after you die to live. That's not what life's about."
"It's done. I'm here now. And I'm okay." She dropped to a crouch and gently wiped the tears from his face, thinking how he was exactly like her female creator. Then she hugged him and determinedly transmitted contentment. Ratchet couldn't hold back a soft chuckle as he saw the little yellow free spark's own tactics used against him.
"Hey...." Bumblebee blinked. "You're happy-bombing me!"
"Yes...." Jabez twinkled with half guilty laughter.
"That's.... Ratchet, stop laughing at me!"
"You're getting your own medicine, buddy." The former CMO faded slightly as he cracked up.
"Humph!" Bumblebee tried to scowl, but wound up laughing himself. "Weren't we supposed to be looking around so I could learn the ropes?"
"We were." Ratchet hove back into sight, still snerking.
"Do you want to come along?" Bumblebee turned back to Jabez hopefully. "Can you?"
"I can go anywhere." She nodded. "And sure, I'll go. Primus says yes."
"Great! Come on, Ratch, stop laughing and lets go!"
"Alright, alright, don't get your skidplate in a knot." The white free spark shook his head and resumed the interrupted tour, well aware of the stream of wordless communication going back and forth between Bumblebee and his newfound alternate creation.
"Yeah." Bumblebee grinned, his bright blue eyes twinkling as he rubber-necked a little. "It doesn't feel so scary this time."
"Heh. Having the proper connections helps." Ratchet gave him a gentle shove, then paused and lifted a browplate toward Blue's.
"Found Galvatron and Cyclonus," noted Bumblebee softly.
"Primus said they were having fun. I don't wanna imagine the snark that's going on around that table."
"Who's that they're playing with?" Bumblebee tilted his head curiously.
"A Wolverine. She lives in the Nexus." Ratchet heard another sparksong ripple into existence and grinned.
"Hey...." Bumblebee looked around. "That sort of sounds like me."
"Sort of," said Ratchet, then put a hand on his small friend's head and pointed his face toward the roof of a nearby brownstone.
"...Who's she?" The yellow mech blinked at sight of the slender, sky-blue Seeker who stood up there watching the two of them curiously. "And why does she look so funny?"
"She doesn't look funny." Ratchet shook his head a bit, smiling. "For her set of realities she's a little beauty."
"Ohhh, the spiky ones that Galvatron's... mentioned?" Understanding clears a little of the puzzlement from Bumblebee's face as he calls out to the young Seeker spark to spark.
Then he gasped with understanding as she responded and hopped down to come and see them. "No way...."
"Yes way," said Ratchet, chuckling. "Bumblebee, meet your alternate daughter, Jabez."
"But... Starscream?" Bumblebee blinked and looked bewildered.
"Don't ask," said Jabez in her abnormally soft voice as she reached them.
"I'm not going to. Don't worry." Bumblebee looked up at her, amazed and wondering.
"Uncle Bumblebee?" she offered, her exotic face quirking a smile.
"Heh." His smile returned, though the wonder and awe continued. "That sounds good to me. But... you're just a kid...."
She nodded and shared wordlessly the story of her demise, unwittingly giving a few scenes from her life as well.
"Oh man." Bumblebee hugged her impulsively.
"Hey," she said, with his own earnestness. "I'm okay. Everything's good now."
"No it's not," he said softly, looking up. "You shouldn't have to wait till after you die to live. That's not what life's about."
"It's done. I'm here now. And I'm okay." She dropped to a crouch and gently wiped the tears from his face, thinking how he was exactly like her female creator. Then she hugged him and determinedly transmitted contentment. Ratchet couldn't hold back a soft chuckle as he saw the little yellow free spark's own tactics used against him.
"Hey...." Bumblebee blinked. "You're happy-bombing me!"
"Yes...." Jabez twinkled with half guilty laughter.
"That's.... Ratchet, stop laughing at me!"
"You're getting your own medicine, buddy." The former CMO faded slightly as he cracked up.
"Humph!" Bumblebee tried to scowl, but wound up laughing himself. "Weren't we supposed to be looking around so I could learn the ropes?"
"We were." Ratchet hove back into sight, still snerking.
"Do you want to come along?" Bumblebee turned back to Jabez hopefully. "Can you?"
"I can go anywhere." She nodded. "And sure, I'll go. Primus says yes."
"Great! Come on, Ratch, stop laughing and lets go!"
"Alright, alright, don't get your skidplate in a knot." The white free spark shook his head and resumed the interrupted tour, well aware of the stream of wordless communication going back and forth between Bumblebee and his newfound alternate creation.