The Dream and os'Verse. Storeroom and Shylock's ship. Saving Shylock.

[random_xtras]

yOp: *comes in, frowning and distracted* *to hsBlitz* Will you hold my sparklebitty? I think somebody needs rescuing. *holds out the baby Swindle*

gbSwindle: ...Bargain?

hsBlitz: *had just finished testing a new pizza* Erm, certainly, Optimus. *takes the little one*

gbSwindle: Yayyy. Bargain! Money! *waves tiny arms and grins*

hsRandom: So cuuute!

headSpazz: -Eee! Bitty!-

gbSwindle: *loves you guys, hsBlitz!*

yOp: *chuckles, then frowns and listens* -Dad?-

Swindle: *going over paperwork* -Something up, Op?-

yOp: *shares the feeling he's got* -I think somebody's in trouble.-

Swindle: *puts his work away* -Now that you've showed me, I can feel it too-

yOp: -Can you tell what's going on?-

Swindle: *concentrates* -Not...exactly. But I've got a location, I believe...-

yOp: -Wait for me, I'll be right there.-

Swindle: -Okay-

yOp: *there!* I brought fuel.

Swindle: We'll probably need it. Are you ready?

yOp: *nod* Ready when you are.

Swindle: *nods, and teleports the both of them, going invisible as he does*

yOp: *invisibob, and sniffing the air*

Swindle: *looks around, and immediately bristles* -Shylock....we're in a Shylock's hideout...-

yOp: *stomps down on a rage spike* -I think I know who's in trouble. It's too quiet for a Blitzwing.-

Swindle: -Toaster. I'm gonna turn him into a toaster...- *scans for who he thinks may be in trouble, another Swindle*

yOp: *sudden mental image of a sentient toaster* *o.0*

Swindle: -Or a kitten. Let Rache play with him... there!- *he motions to a door on the other side of a long hallway, guarded by two Shylackies*

yOp: -I have this.- *snoops over there, and then flashes into sight* BOO! *vanishes again*

Shylackies: *freak, but don't move. Fear of Shylock is deeper than suddenly appearing Optimuses. *

yOp: -Should I walk in?-

Swindle: -Yes, yes. I'll keep an optic out here... just in case.-

yOp: -Alright.- *still invisible as he walks through the closed door*

other side: (ooo, lets call them os for that): *there's a Swindle, beaten and dented, bound in some odd contraption. yOp could probably tell that the device was set to kill osSwindle if they tried to remove it.

Of course, that was if a NORMAL bot tried...*

yOp: *turns the contraption into a feather bed without becoming visible himself*

osSwindle: *oofs lightly, blinking one good optic*

yOp: -It's safe to come in, Dad.-

Swindle: *enters, scanners still fixated on the outside* -Slag....-

yOp: -Here's some white sauce mud. I'll go find Shylock.-

Swindle: -Be careful.- *carefully takes the mud, and becomes visible*

osSwindle: *tries to speak, but can't*

yOp: *gentle touch of affection for osSwindle* -I'm always careful, Dad. Except when I'm drunk.- *out of the room and raps Shylackeys' heads together*

Shylackies: *out like a light!*

Swindle: -I know, I know.- *will now feed osSwindle. Fixing him can come later*

yOp: *shifts to a smaller version of his dragon form, and then goes hunting for Shy and the other lackeys*

Shylackies: *here and there, doing business*

yOp: *considers, and then sends them all to the front desk of the local prison* *listens to see what happens next* *hears lackeys getting arrested and nods, then sniffs and seeks and listens for Shylock*

osShylock: *is on edge. Lackies vanishing before his optics will do that*

yOp: *slight smirk, and then talks to a friend, and does something even creepier*

zShy: *turns on his personal force field, and then walks into the room his alternate is in* Yo, dawg, sup? :D

osShy: What... the... slag?

zShy: You really need to stop putting those minerals into your fuel. *more grin*

osShy: Which minerals? *okay, he does use additives, but he swears they're safe... great, must have gotten a bad batch.* Ugh... I'll offline the slagger that sold me those...

zShy: *stops in front of him* No you won't. *STILL grinning*

osShy: Why not? Someone already get them? Did I? Maybe the Guard got them... if they were selling bad additives...

zShy: Because you're gonna be too busy explaining to Blitzwing what you did to his little guy.

osShy: o.O ... O.O ...Really... bad... batch...

zShy: *calls his business partner* //Hey, Swindle, you wanna come help freak one of my alternates out?//

zSwindle: //Not another baddie... ugh, your alternates make you look like an Alvatian Angel...//

zShy: *laughs over comms and sends the smaller bot coordinates that will bring zSwindle to stand right beside him*

zSwindle: *makes sure his personal shield is working, and does so* Hey, jerkaft.

osShy: *takes a few steps backawards*

zShy: See, I'm not really a belly ache. I'm your genius double from an alternate reality who did things the RIGHT way. *GRIN*

osShy: No... nono. *out go weapons. *

zSwindle: And anything you have... we can stop. Alternate, remember? He's got all your mods, AND everything needed to stop them. *ebil grin*

zShy: And I have something even better than you have. *grin goes evil too as he transmits to zSwindle that there's an invisible dragon in the room*

zSwindle: *snerks at the news*

osShy: *raises an optic ridge, unsure about trying to fire... yet* What the slag to you mean?

zShy: We've got a dragon. :D

osShy: Dragon? Dragons don't work with us, they're selfish, profit-hoarding idiots!

zSwindle: No, that's you, Shylock.

zShy: Oh, and we've already made fifty sales here in your reality. Bahaha.

osShy: o.O ...What do you mean?

zShy: I mean sales. People buying goods from us. Us horning in on your profits. And you'll never get them back. //Thanks, Oppy.//

yOp: //I'll learn to watch out for your ninja wishes yet.// *is watching that vending machine sell goodies off on that world over there*

osShy: *tries to regain his composure* Bah, a few sales is nothing. You're not going to offline me, you would have done it by now. And there is no proof the Guard has that can pin any wrongdoing on me...

yOp: //Tell him Loanshark talked.//

zShy: Loanshark talked.

osShy: *visibly pales* No... Loanshark's offline. I made sure... I made sure...

zShy: Nope. You *beeped* up. >D

osShy: *cursing to himself* *was paying too much attention to kidnapping osSwindle to make sure his partner was fully offline--yOp may catch that*

yOp: //Loanshark was his partner. But he was too busy kidnapping the local Swindle to make sure he finished his dirty business.//

zShy: Too busy kidnapping Blitzwing's kid to make sure of Sharky, huh?

osShy: *growls* Blitzwing will never get his brat back. He stole from me, I took what mattered most to him...

zShy: *snort* Can't steal from you what isn't yours.

osShy: *fires his weapons at zShy*

zShy: *wide eyes at the absurd sound and puff of glittery pink smoke that just came out of that weapon* :o

osShy: *wide eyed as well* *curses to make Hothead jealous*

zSwindle: ... *can so fake not being surprised* ...Told you.

zShy: *recovers and snerks* Fail.

osShy: This isn't happening... *runs back to his seat and slams his fist on a button*

*arm in osSwindle's room* *appears from the wall, probably to set off the killswitch--that's no longer there*

Swindle: >.> *shocks it*

osShy: *is literally shocked!*

zShy: 0_0 XD *snerkle*

yOp: -Wow, what was that?-

Swindle: -Whatever you're doing, I think he just tried to offline this Swindle. TRIED.-

zSwindle: Oooo, didn't anyone tell you smoking is bad for you?

osShy: *is indeed smoking a bit*

yOp: *shows his dad everything that just lead up to the smoking*

zShy: *is hunkered down to poke his alternate with a stick*

Swindle: -Oh... you are ebil, Op... *snerk*-

osShy: *is out for now*

yOp: *laughs silently, but then pauses and listens* -Oh hey. I'm supposed to...- *zaps osShy*

osShy: *is now a little kid*

zSwindle: ...What happened? Optimus, was that you?

yOp: //...Primus made me do it.//

zSwindle: *facepalm*

zShy: Awwww! I was a kyoooot little thing.

zSwindle: ...And that is a scary thought. Cute Shylock.

osShy: *blinkity Blink*

zShy: So how much of what just happened do you remember?

yOp: Nothing. *voice from nowhere!*

osShy: *look around for the voice*

zShy: *grins at the sparklet and offers him a hand* That's just the friendly invisible dragon.

osShy: Dragon?

zShy: *nods and pokes the little guy gently* He's a big organic thing with wings.

osShy: Organic?? *shiver*

zSwindle: Awww, not all organics are bad.

zShy: No. Most of them are pretty great people. *looks up*

yOp: -Hey, Dad. Should we call the local Blitzwing, or bring that Swindle home?-

Swindle: *listens* -I... I'm not sure. Swindle's really badly damaged, but from what I can hear now... Blitzwing thinks he's offline.-

yOp: *watches zShy pick osShy up to cuddle him* -Should I go talk to Blitzwing?-

zShy: *to his little alternate* Do you like helping hurt bots?

osShy: Hurt bots? *wibble*

zSwindle: Awwww, I think he may.

Swindle: *considers* -He may listen to you. I'm afraid I may shock him. You know... Swindle.-

zShy: *stands with little brother in arms* Come on, you can help him warm up. That'll help him feel a little better.

osShy: ...Hugs!

zShy: Come on, Swindle. *will bring osShy to the room where osSwindle is*

yOp: -Yeah. Okay. Here I go.- *goes to where osBlitzwing is*


where osBlitzwing is

osBlitzwing: *sitting at a desk, frowning as he looks over reports and information. The area looks like a police/Guard headquarters*

yOp: *steps forward in bot mode* Blitzwing, sir?

osBlitzwing: *is out of his seat, Hothead in control, before realizing who it is and returning to Icy* Optimus. Forgive me. What... what may I do for you? *osBlitz looks very tired, BTW... like he hasn't recharged in awhile*

yOp: *gently* I'm not the local Optimus. And I've come to bring you news. And this. *steps forward and gives hug*

osBlitz: *blinks in confusion at the hug, then his optic goes wide.* Dream... was real?

yOp: *steps back with his hands on osBlitz's shoulders to look at the older bot's face* Dream?

osBlitz: Other reality. Other Blitzwing... I thought it was all made up in our crazy processor... so long ago.

yOp: *slight, warm smile as he shakes his head* Your reality split off from another one. The Dream is real. *gently* And Swindle is alive.

osBlitz: *hears that, but doesn't make the connection* Yes, I suppose... *shakes a bit* ...That Swindles would be online somewhere... where I wouldn't have failed them....

yOp: *very gentle shake* No. Sir. YOUR SON is alive.

osBlitz: O.O *all three faces switch out in disbelief* Alive... my Swindle? Primus...

yOp: *nod nod* He's hurt, but we've dealt with the culprit.

osBlitz: *an angry Hothead comes to the front* Shylock! ... *calms lightly* Dealt with... *puts his head in his hands* ...If I would have caught him...

yOp: Come with me. *gentle tug on the shoulders* I can't bring you till you want to go.

osBlitz: *blinks... he so WANTS to go, but he's afraid. Afraid his Swindle wouldn't want to see him...*

yOp: *slight head tilt as he listens to osSwindle*

osSwindle: *is in too bad of a condition to know what he wants... but after what Shylock put him though, he NEEDS to see his dad*

yOp: *gently* He needs you.

osBlitz: *that clinches it* Take me.

yOp: *and they're there, in the room where osSwindle is laying on the big soft bed and being snuggled by a sad little sparklet* *hides zShy to keep things safe*

Swindle: *is there, at his alternate's side*

osBlitz: *is THERE, holding onto osSwindle's hand, and barely notices the other Swindle* I'm here...

osSwindle: *blinking*

yOp: *reassuring thoughts to osShy. That's the hurt bot's dad*

osShy: *knows nothing of Blitzwing besides that* Dads make things better... right?

osSwindle: *tries to speak. Can't. But his optic tells enough... he's been rescued*

osBlitz: *just keeps holding osSwindle's hand, but if he could cry, he would be*

yOp: *softly* Dads make many things better. *gentle hand on osBlitzwing's shoulder* *quietly* //This is Shylock. He doesn't remember you.//

osBlitz: //This... little one? How...?//

yOp: *can't help the faint touch of mischief* //Primus made me do it.//

osBlitz: *Random comes out at that* ...That's Crazy!

osShy: What's Crazy?

osBlitz: Shhh, nothing, nothing...

yOp: *looks at his own dad, and then back to osBlitz* Do you want another son?

osBlitz: *wibbles* Doesn't remember... anything?

yOp: *looks at the bitty* Shylock, what do you know?

osShy: Hugs, Shadows! *yes, he's got the faintest of faint memories of Shadowwraithe, he was THAT fixated with her*

yOp: Shadows?

osShy: Shadows. Lady. Momma? *frowns* Do I have a momma?

yOp: *looks to osBlitz to answer that*

osBlitz: *is kinda looking blank. No, not blank... he's speaking to someone.* *pause* ...He was Recon, yes? If my facts were correct? *he doesn't know that Reconnoiter tried to frame him, and it's probably best he didn't. He does know Recon liked Shadowwraithe...*

yOp: He was, but he doesn't remember the name.

osBlitz: *back to Icy, and shows a holo of Shadowwraithe*

osShy: O.O Shadows!... *looks at osBlitz* ...but not Momma, is she? *so sad*

yOp: *to osBlitz* //It's your call. She can be Momma if you want.//

osBlitz: //Not my call. But she is agreeable.// *looks at the bitty* ...Do you want her to be Momma?

osShy: O.O *GLEE*

yOp: *grins, and then gently speaks to osSwindle* -You have a baby brother.-

osSwindle: *not thinking too clear* -Replaced?-

yOp: -No. He's your brother. That's your dad holding your hand. And your brother snuggling you.-

osSwindle: -Is Dad? He...did come? He...cares?-

yOp: Blitzwing, sir, do you want to talk to Swindle? I can help.

osBlitz: Yes, yes we would.

yOp: *makes a link between the four minds* -Swindle, think and your dad will hear you.-

osSwindle: -You... came? After... I thought... you never wanted to see me again...-

osHothead: -What gave you that idea?-

osIcy: ... -Probably you-

osRandom: -Always wanted. Always. Missed you since you left. Could never find you...-

yOp: *gently* -Do you guys want to go home?-

osSwindle: -Home...-

osIcy: -Your mother is wanting to see you.-

osHothead: *quietly saying "slag" a lot to himself, as he realized it may be his fault*

osRandom: -We'll get you fixed. Maybe when Loanshark gets better, he can come see you!-

osSwindle: O.x ... -Sharky? He's online??-

yOp: -Yup. He is.- *gently, as he sticks a business card in osBlitz's empty hand* -You both need to want to go home for me to bring you.-

Swindle: *had been watching quietly the entire time*

osBlitz: -Home-

osSwindle: -... *small smile* Home-

yOp: *sends the family, and the big soft bed, to osBlitz's living room. Then looks at his dad*

Swindle: ...I think we were sent here not just to save Swindle.

yOp: I think so too.

zShy: *jumps out of hiding toward Swindle* BOO! :D

Swindle: Ahhh! *flail* ...You absolute goof!

zSwindle: *laughing at his boss*

zShy: *laughs too* *happily* I wish we were all back at the Dream, and that my partner and I could hog your guest rooms.

yOp: *shakes his head at the Shylock antics*

zSwindle: *checking his drawer* ...Yep, got my rope!

Swindle: You two... *brings everyone back to the Dream*


((Co-written with swindle_blitz))