Oriana-'verse. Imperial Palace of Char. Coming home
The ceremony had been full of fitting pomp and splendor; the guests full of the proper respect for the warlord leader they'd come to honor. And the tomb in which Cyclonus' empty shell had been laid to rest next to that of Galvatron was suitably grand, the walls engraved with the chronicle of both his deeds and those of his illustrious commander, though those of Cyclonus took the appropriate second place. Gifts had been given, respects had been paid. One insolent alien had died messily after saying the wrong thing without first making sure that he was alone.
And now the guests spoke and mingled in the massive Hall of Judgement as a slender grey and purple figure slipped away and closed herself in a small side room to kneel and cast aside her simple coronation cape as her faceplate creased in sorrow.
-Primus, I'm not ready!- Threnody thought as she finally let her cool facade crack. -I'm too young. Right now they're loyal because I'm Galvatron's heir, but what will they do when they realize that I'm just another rookie who barely knows a data port from an exhaust port?-
She lowered her head to the floor, unaware of the tears that trailed down her faceplate. -And there's no one but Scourge now to be my friend. And she is too intent on being a faithful servant to come close enough. I... know enough, perhaps. Gah! I'm a failure; a glitch! Sniveling in fear....-
The door opened behind her and she stiffened, her hand going for her gun as she turned.
"Hey." Rumble bowed his head respectfully, his expression sheepish and embarrassed. "Uh... I'm sorry. Please don't shoot me, Boss?"
Threnody frowned at him with confusion. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be recuperating on Earth."
He shrugged, the slow and careful movement telling of the damage he was still dealing with. "Couldn't miss this. I'm the head'a Intelligence now, scary as that sounds."
Then he sighed as his joke fell flat and stepped closer. "And... well, I remembered when yous was little, and I thought you might... you know. Need a friend."
She stared, and then turned away quickly as her faceplate crumpled.
"Awwww, hey." Rumble was at her side in an instant, holding her as she cried and finding to his surprise that it didn't make him squirm with embarrassment. Somehow this didn't seem weak, this acknowledgment of how much their murdered leaders had meant to the living monument that they'd left behind. But it was more than that. This was his friend; the little bitty bot that he and his brothers had tried to steal so many times with so little success; the little thing who'd clung to them when she was sleepy or hurt, or the rare times she'd been afraid.
"I know," he said softly, his vocalizer clogging with static.
After a few moments she pushed away and wiped her face with the cape before tossing it against the far wall with disgust.
Rumble straighted to attention, though his optic visor was still smiling. "My Lady?"
Threnody made a rude sound at him and pulled herself to her feet, then stiffened with dismay as she noticed the other figure in the room. "Who are you?"
"It's okay," said Rumble as quickly as he could. "Boss, this is Asia. I brung her along so's I could stay for awhile, see?"
The tall, strong human woman was standing to attention, her chin lifted just enough to let it be known that she was no doormat, her body at ease but ready to snap into motion. Threnody studied her for a moment, then nodded to her. "Your girlfriend."
"My wife," said Rumble quietly, his own chin rising.
Threnody blinked at that. "You underwent the human bonding ceremony?"
"Yeah. Wasn't like we could do things the Cybertronian way." Asia offered her a slight smile.
Threnody looked back and forth between them. "How long are you staying?"
"As long as yous need us," said Rumble, then turned and made his slow way back to his lady's side. "Soundbite and Rogue are out havin' fun at da party."
"You'll need quarters. You can't stay with the rest of the team." Threnody strode toward the door, already transmitting orders as the mantle of leadership slipped unnoticed over her shoulders.
And now the guests spoke and mingled in the massive Hall of Judgement as a slender grey and purple figure slipped away and closed herself in a small side room to kneel and cast aside her simple coronation cape as her faceplate creased in sorrow.
-Primus, I'm not ready!- Threnody thought as she finally let her cool facade crack. -I'm too young. Right now they're loyal because I'm Galvatron's heir, but what will they do when they realize that I'm just another rookie who barely knows a data port from an exhaust port?-
She lowered her head to the floor, unaware of the tears that trailed down her faceplate. -And there's no one but Scourge now to be my friend. And she is too intent on being a faithful servant to come close enough. I... know enough, perhaps. Gah! I'm a failure; a glitch! Sniveling in fear....-
The door opened behind her and she stiffened, her hand going for her gun as she turned.
"Hey." Rumble bowed his head respectfully, his expression sheepish and embarrassed. "Uh... I'm sorry. Please don't shoot me, Boss?"
Threnody frowned at him with confusion. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be recuperating on Earth."
He shrugged, the slow and careful movement telling of the damage he was still dealing with. "Couldn't miss this. I'm the head'a Intelligence now, scary as that sounds."
Then he sighed as his joke fell flat and stepped closer. "And... well, I remembered when yous was little, and I thought you might... you know. Need a friend."
She stared, and then turned away quickly as her faceplate crumpled.
"Awwww, hey." Rumble was at her side in an instant, holding her as she cried and finding to his surprise that it didn't make him squirm with embarrassment. Somehow this didn't seem weak, this acknowledgment of how much their murdered leaders had meant to the living monument that they'd left behind. But it was more than that. This was his friend; the little bitty bot that he and his brothers had tried to steal so many times with so little success; the little thing who'd clung to them when she was sleepy or hurt, or the rare times she'd been afraid.
"I know," he said softly, his vocalizer clogging with static.
After a few moments she pushed away and wiped her face with the cape before tossing it against the far wall with disgust.
Rumble straighted to attention, though his optic visor was still smiling. "My Lady?"
Threnody made a rude sound at him and pulled herself to her feet, then stiffened with dismay as she noticed the other figure in the room. "Who are you?"
"It's okay," said Rumble as quickly as he could. "Boss, this is Asia. I brung her along so's I could stay for awhile, see?"
The tall, strong human woman was standing to attention, her chin lifted just enough to let it be known that she was no doormat, her body at ease but ready to snap into motion. Threnody studied her for a moment, then nodded to her. "Your girlfriend."
"My wife," said Rumble quietly, his own chin rising.
Threnody blinked at that. "You underwent the human bonding ceremony?"
"Yeah. Wasn't like we could do things the Cybertronian way." Asia offered her a slight smile.
Threnody looked back and forth between them. "How long are you staying?"
"As long as yous need us," said Rumble, then turned and made his slow way back to his lady's side. "Soundbite and Rogue are out havin' fun at da party."
"You'll need quarters. You can't stay with the rest of the team." Threnody strode toward the door, already transmitting orders as the mantle of leadership slipped unnoticed over her shoulders.