TG'verse. Imperial city of Chaar. Aftermath 2
Rodimus looked both ways as he came to the end of the small side street, then stepped out onto the wider thoroughfare. "This place is always fun to walk in. It feels like a ghost town."
Beside him, Blazer glanced around with his usual solemnity. "Why did they make it so big if there's no one to use the buildings?"
"It's a monument to Galvatron."
The young bridge blinked. "That seems to be the explanation for nearly everything they do here."
"Of course it is." Rodimus stopped and looked around again, his mouth slightly open as he considered his direction, then continued the way they'd been going. "They're Galvatronians."
Blazer blinked again, but then nodded concession to the logic of that statement and returned the wave of a two mech patrol passing by on the other side of the street.
"Besides, it gives them something to guard when they're not out on the fronts." Rodimus didn't turn his head as the patrol turned a corner and was jumped by the other patrol that he and Blazer had passed earlier. "There's Omega Supreme."
Blazer's head did a quick forward and back swivel, and then he waved to the ancient guardian robot and his tiny energy sprite of a spark mate. "Panacea says to tell you that Dirge and Ramjet are recovering. And some things that I'd rather not repeat."
The Autobot Prime chuckled and turned his communicator back on and exchanged banter with his irascible lady for a few moments as they walked along, then turned it off with a sigh as his customary expression of boredom returned.
"This was a decisive victory for Threnody." Blazer kicked at an empty and abandoned energon cube and watched it dissipate, then lifted his optics to the rooftops again.
"And for us. That 'Con faction's been the worst pains in the aft of the lot." Rodimus paused to consider a wall of shining Nerlithiac marble, then pulled a sharpie out of subspace and wrote his name on it and a quick note to Laserbeak. "They won't recover anytime soon."
Blazer watched with bemused surprise, but then looked up again and stopped short. "Uh... sir, do you remember what you said a few clicks ago?"
Rodimus followed his gaze and saw nothing but empty roof. "The ghost town comment?"
"Yes."
"Who is it?"
"Ratchet and Cyclonus." Blazer's brow ridges quirked as the free sparks blinked out of sight and then reappeared, Cyclonus walking next to Rodimus and Ratchet by himself.
"That's my name," said the former CMO cheerfully. "Don't wear it out."
"You guys know Ironhide's playing hooky?" asked Rodimus laconically.
"Should have known he couldn't keep a low profile." His father in law chuckled.
"How is she doing?" asked Cyclonus quietly, his optics on the pavement ahead of them.
"Are you admitting you care?" Rodimus lifted a brow ridge, but didn't look at the former Decepticon High Commander.
"I care about the future of Chaar, and of the Galvatronians," said Cyclonus, frowning.
"And Threnody is that future?"
"Yes."
Rodimus gave a fleeting smile and outlined the young femme's response to the sudden incapacitation of a large number of her troops. "She saw them dropping like flies and suspected that it wasn't just the result of potent brew. Called me, and I brought in a few squads of commandos. It wasn't just the result of potent brew, and she got a lot of brainy leader points."
Cyclonus nodded and winked out. "Tell her I'm proud of her."
Rodimus stopped short. "Hey! Since when am I a messenger for the Allspark? The Matrix already has me whipped... ah, he's gone, isn't he?"
Blazer and Ratchet both nodded.
"Figures." The Prime resumed walking, absently flipping his sharpie between his fingers.
"So when do I get my next grandkid?" Ratchet's voice was pure innocence.
"When this one's had time to get through academy and have the shine rubbed off her paint." Rodimus snorted. "Don't you have warnings of doom to deliver somewhere?"
The former CMO made a razzing sound, then winked out himself. "Tell Pansy I love her. And Ironhide that he's a glitch."
Rodimus shook his head and waved to the next patrol. "I should start charging for this."
"Sir?" Blazer looked at him with a little confusion.
"Never mind. Fearless leader's just quietly turning into dangerously insane and overworked leader." Rodimus grinned and flipped the sharpie into subspace, then stepped across the street and into a bar from which the sound of brawling came to greet them. "Let's have a drink."