Life's A Party : Part 5 [Gift]

           The lengths a mech went to do to keep peace. Barely a few jours in, and already against his better judgment, Magnus had been suckered into allowing the highgrade to flow. Some were gratefully respectful of his choice and already stating how this was going to be the best ceremony since the scraplet invasion (we don’t talk about that anymore, never-mind how there was less than half a dozen and bots were scrambling and later mocked each other) or the time that Crankcase got the cables that dangled majestically from his head stuck in a femme’s armor when trying to feel her up.

           Magnus personally cringed from these memories. He may not have been in charge, but there was no one who let it down how he may or may not have, as it was yet to be debated, squealed like a sparkling at the sight of those sparklings and went to aid in extracting Crankcase from the femme as she tried beating everyone who touched her.

           If nothing else, it gave him a small sense of pride even with his concerns. Perfection was key in his life, but with age he had learned to loosen up in small degrees. That and just perhaps he was a little too infatuated with the idea of making an outstanding and memorable tribute this year.

           Moving through the crowd, Ultra Magnus offered murmured words of kindness to both old friends and new. Faces he’d fought and faces he stood beside fighting. It gave hope. It gave dreams to aspire by, more than just the grandeur of a party. And looking towards Akila, speaking with a red armored Trax whom he could still clearly remember her pounding into the dirt so many long years ago.

           A small smile formed on the former Autobot SIC’s faceplate. Every ambition he could have hoped as a naïve bot in the start of the war, well, it seemed that his goals and expectations could come true after all.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

           “You’re keeping an optic on Knock Out, right?” Akila ventured, her blue optics sharp as she casted a glance upon her Sparkmate.

           Ultra Magnus towards her with a deadpan expression. She couldn’t help but smile radiantly with her audios pricked forward and a glistening tease upon her studious gaze.

           “I’m keeping an optic on everyone, Akila,” quietly murmured the enormous blue and red mech.

           A small frown appeared on Akila’s face. “Not exactly what I meant. You have plenty of bodyguards and trained personal all around the place.”

           “I’m at ease,” Ultra Magnus defended himself.

           He didn’t appear to be fibbing on the outside, but Akila knew better. Even as comfortable as he looked, his shoulders and jaw slacked with wide bright blue optics, she knew better. No matter how at ease his appearance, there was an underlying tentativeness. Aware of his surroundings, keeping check on the movements of others, always trying to be two steps ahead of unruly bots or fearing the worse.

            Opting to leave him to worries she knew he wouldn’t express, Akila went to change the subject; bumping her deliciously curving golden hip against her mate’s side. “You’re going to hold your speech soon, right?”

           “In a while,” Magnus replied in a clipped tone.

           “Want to, I don’t know… dance, before you go up there?”

           “Dance? Akila, you very well know I can’t dance. Neither can you for that matter. The last time I saw you trying to dance was with Venus and Novastrike.”

           “Club dancing is not the same as formal dancing, Magnus,” Akila growled quietly, crossing her servos in front of her small blue chassis. “And I dance just fine. You’re the one who doesn’t know a ballroom dance from a Charleston or jitterbug.”

           Magnus recoiled with a repugnant appearance. “What in Primus name is a jitterbug?”

           Looking dumbfounded, Akila waved her servo at him. “You spent how many years on Earth and found out nothing about their culture? I didn’t even like Earth that much and I found out more about it than you. Don’t worry: the jitterbug isn’t like a scraplet.”

           “I did not scream like a femme over a scraplet.”

           “Yes you did, dear. Everyone heard you while I beat the thing in the ground with my khopesh.”

           She waited patiently for Ultra Magnus to respond or attempt to shield himself from humiliation once again. When he did not, Akila impatiently tapped her pede on the floor and tried peering over the crowd of femmes and mechs, some dancing to the quiet beat of a song and others deep in conversation.

           Then she spotted him. Well, barely. Those giant crimson shoulders were flashing with an obnoxiously shiny glaze and Knock Out’s servo was flaunting in the air as he attempted flirting with some obviously disinterested thin built Seeker mech.

           “You’re right,” Akila ventured. “I mean, you’re clearly not up to the task of dancing. I should probably go ask Knock Out; he’s always ready for a good time.”

           Magnus stiffened a little. “Why don’t you go dance with Venus and Novastrike?”

           Akila jerked a thumb to the side. “Venus is over there dealing with Barricade just about dry humping her on the dance floor, totally off sync with the beat of the music by the way, and I don’t know where Nova is.”

           She waited patiently for Ultra Magnus to glance around the room. Honestly a part of her wanted to laugh at him; as if he’d see that ten-foot tall femme around all the thirty or more plus feet mechs and femmes swarming the room. It was spacious, but not exactly empty of occupants.

           “I don’t see her,” agreed the mech after a moment.

           “Exactly- she’s not with Blackout right now because he’s over there,” Akila pointed to the sole individual in the room that towered over everyone like a shadow. “And trust me- you’d know if she was with him. So guess what, no dancing partner for me.”

           “But you don’t even like dancing,” Magnus interjected.

           “It’s been a few thousand years since the war, Magnus. I think I can afford now to appreciate things I was not so easily talked into back then.”

           Grunting, the mech pressed a servo to his forehead in chagrin. Akila could perhaps, learn to pity him.

           Or maybe do as she pleased, and take a little pleasure out of getting her mate out of his comfort zone. Enjoying the feel of his servos against her for just a little bit before he’d shuffle off again to act like an antisocial uptight type.

           “One dance,” Magnus hissed, pressing a servo to his audio to contact the mixer. “And I’m picking the song.”

           “Well it definitely won’t be the hustle.”

           “Akila, please.”

           Akila snorted on laughter, pressing a servo to her mouth to hold in her giggling at the expense of her mate and his frustrated stare. She offered out her servo to him which he grasped a little firmly; his larger servo all but devouring hers as he pulled further through a throng of mechs and femmes and in more open space.

           A beautifully enchanting crescendo of notes descended upon them.

           “You did not,” Akila threatened quietly.

           Ultra Magnus shot a victorious grin down at her. “It’s the simplest dance I know.”

           “Probably the only one you know,” Akila accused in a grumpy voice, interlocking her digits with her Sparkmate’s and placed her right hand against Magnus’s shoulder.

           “Am I hearing that you don’t want to dance now?” Ultra Magnus asked in a mischievous voice, his optics gloating as he placed a servo to Akila’s waist.

           “Shut up.”

           Quizzical optics turned towards them as the music began to rise and fall in intermediate but gentle beats.

           Someone snickered. Primus have mercy on them when Akila was free of Magnus’s hold.

           In a traditional and very simple box-step, Ultra Magnus pulled Akila into an attempted at a waltz. Their pedes bumped awkwardly as they shifted the first few steps, gathering courage into the step and coordinating their moves as they shifted position.

           “You’re doing very well,” Magnus praised with encouragement.

           Akila twisted her mouth up into one of disgust. “I haven’t waltzed in Primus knows how long, I’m rusty.”

           “Since your sire, correct?”

           “W-What… How would you even…?”

           “You dream about him, sometimes.”

           Oh. She hadn’t even thought about the fact that Ultra Magnus might be on the receiving end of her dreams sometimes. The whole muddled bond thing sometimes took her a little off guard. Whoops.

           Embarrassed by the sentiment but just as touched, Akila slid her servo away from Magnus’s shoulder. He looked a little confused as she let go of his other servo, abandoning a rather short-lived waltz to wrap her arms around him and snuggle against his chassis.

           “Your waltz is poor and improper, soldier,” Ultra Magnus chuckled, swaying gently to the romantic tune.

           “Shut up and hold me you idiot.”

           “I can do that.”

           “Ooohh! Look who’s on the dance floor! Come on Magnus, crank those hips!”

           Akila narrowed her optics. “I’m gonna kill Barricade later.”

           “I don’t think Venus would appreciate that.”

           “She’ll understand.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

           Why did he allow himself to be talked into this? Ultra Magnus gagged, retching as he tried to hold in the foul tasting liquid that Barricade had just handed to him.

           “What the slag is wrong with this energon?” Magnus wheezed, shoving it at the crudely laughing former Decepticon.

           The police officer could barely contain himself. With a servo to his chassis, he violently wheezed with laughter. The sound of his ventilation systems hiccupped as he did so, trying to bring in cool air as he hardly could catch his breath.

           “It wasn’t strong enough, so I brought in a little something-something for the highgrade,” Barricade snorted, his violet biolights just as blindingly bright as his optics as he leaned in close. “Can’t take it, old mech?”

           “Primus, this is terrible,” Magnus coughed. “Please tell me you haven’t added any of this into the original batch?”

           “Not one for liquid courage, are you Big M,” Barricade stated with a waggle of his digit. “Blackout can handle it just fine, right big guy?”

           Ultra Magnus and Barricade simultaneously turned their helms up to look at the formidable onyx armored mech. He pressed the energon cube he had to his lips, drank, and slowly lowered the cube.

           “It’s like drinking dirty kerosene,” announced the helicopter nonchalantly.

           “But do you like it?”

           “Absolutely not.”

           “See?” Ultra Magnus snarled, reaching over to snatch the energon cube from Barricade’s other servo. “We’re getting rid of this, now.”

           Barricade pouted. “Why you gotta ruin all my fun, Big M?”

           “Because all your fun involves trying to drown everyone in strong highgrade.”

           Whining loudly, the dark gray and black small femme threw his head back with discontent. Ultra Magnus could only shake his helm firmly at him. Here he’d thought for years when Akila began introducing him to her newfound ‘friends’ that all the trouble he’d have to put up with would come from Blackout.

           “Now Blackout, if you could just-“

           Magnus stammered, raising a digit up to the large mech who was holding a now empty energon cube.

           “You did not just chug that entire cube of highgrade, did you?” the former Autobot Second asked in a weak voice.

           “No Autobot’s telling me what to do,” Blackout growled, his gravelly voice of thunder filled with taunting.

           “I. I’m speechless. I cannot believe this,” Ultra Magnus whispered quietly, ignoring Barricade’s roar of laughter as he jumped up to try giving Blackout a high-five. “You’re absolutely insane.”

           “Team Decepticon!” Cade cheered, fist-bumping in the air.

           “Blackout,” Magnus groaned, reaching out to the big mech. “I thought you were on my side, here.”

           “Sorry,” stated the helicopter, grinning as he shrugged. “I like to pull your strings a bit here and there.”

           Huffing, Ultra Magnus snatched the empty energon cube out of Blackout’s servo. He didn’t offer up any resistance anyway, his expression one of pure amusement.

           “You keep your vile concoction out of the main energon and highgrade supply, Barricade,” Ultra Magnus warned, stomping away while attempting to balance the energon cubes against his chassis.

           While the purple police officer howled with laughter, Ultra Magnus began to carefully squeeze by some of the nearby bots so he could go dump the nasty liquid. His audios were strained, picking up on the two’s chattering words before he was too far to not hear them.

           “So Blackout, would you care for another?”

           “I’d rather drink a cube filled with acid, Barricade.”

           Magnus grinned to himself proudly as he walked through the crowd. Justice has been served.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

           Everyone wasn’t staring, but the few that were made it seem like a million optics were upon her. Curious as to what her friend was laughing about, and why Akila was trying to smother the smaller femme’s face with her servos.

           “Novastrike,” Akila snarled quietly. “For once in your life, can you not try to embarrass me?”

           The white armored femme giggled, wiping at the lubricant leaking from her blue optics with a broad smile as she managed to shove aside Akila’s digits. She flicked away her tears of laughter innocently, whipping her tail back and forth.

           “So you’re saying Magnus totally couldn’t get it up being pressed so close to you?”

           “Your sense of charm and allure is solo set to fragging, isn’t it?”

           Nova shrugged with a basic ‘what can you do’ expression. “It’s not like I’m not a romantic, I just can’t get enough of how mortified you look when I try teasing you about your berth-life, that’s all.”

           “How in Solus Prime’s name does Blackout put up with you?”

           “Frequent fragging, day and night, on a regular basis.”

           Akila’s optics slowly ventured to where Blackout, Barricade, and Ultra Magnus were standing on the far side of the crowded room. The three appeared to be enjoying themselves. Magnus even was smiling, something that brought a wash of warm into the core of the femme’s Spark. At least those two had gotten him to chill out a bit, although she could only guess the things they were saying and doing to make him break.

           “I don’t see it,” Akila argued.

           Novastrike vented quietly. She gave an attempt at a hope to see over the crowd. Although an impressive jump with no momentum, she likely caught a glimpse but Akila was willing to bet saw nothing at all over the tops of the crowd around them.

           “Okay okay yeah, technically Blackout’s not always raring to go at the opportunity.”

           “Maybe he’s the one who needs a little giddy-up,” Akila teased slyly.

           Harsh hues of bright blue glow bleed out of the lioness’s audio receptors. Akila enjoyed herself a brief laugh, ignoring the stares this time that turned towards her and Novastrike with confusion.

           “Trust me- he has no trouble whatsoever getting it up.”

           “Right,” Akila mumbled, looking off to the side. “Did you happen to see where Venus went?”

           The smaller femme’s optics turned dull and her blush all but vanished. “Yeah, ask the femme who’s pushing just at ten-feet tall and can’t see above anyone.”

           “Smell her out.”

           “Oh. My. Primus. You realize you’re the one whose terrestrial guise was supposed to be based off a jackal, right? A dog?” Nova fumed.

           With a nonchalant shrug, Akila continued to try searching over the crowd. “You forget I’m broken. Airachnid didn’t exactly give me all the hustle and bustle upgrades or finish what she started when she got me.”

           Although her words weren’t harsh and in no way demeaning, she could feel the air shift around her instantly. The sudden embarrassed and guilty waves radiated off of Nova almost physically.

           “I’d tear out her optics for you, if I could,” Novastrike offered.

           “That’s sweet Nova, but Airachnid’s been missing for hundreds of years. With any luck, she’s dead.”

           “I’d eat her legs.”

           Slowly, Akila looked over Novastrike. “Uh… Thanks…”

           “I’m serious.”

           “That’s disgusting Nova. You’d probably pick up a virus.”

           Novastrike gave a quiet snicker at that. Akila simply rolled her optics, turning to look through the crowd once more, scanning for signs of a particular magenta and obsidian colored frame of sensual curves.

           “Any sign of Venus?” Nova asked.

           “Ouch- watch it femme!”

           Akila and Nova passed glances at each other, and in the same tone of eureka, stated a single word:

           “Venus.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

           Clearing his vocalizer, Ultra Magnus continued on with his speech in a booming voice, watchful eyes upon him as he stated, “Thank you for your moment’s silence. As all of you know, we wouldn’t be here today without the efforts of every single one of you. The word you’ve set forth into rebuilding Cybertron has brought great change upon our home. Each spark here has set a course to better our world for not only ourselves, but the next generation upon us.”

           “Without your dedication and cooperation, Cybertron would not be where it is today. It is because of your willingness towards peace that we have achieved great strives. It is because of every single one of you, large and small, that your accomplishments have gotten us where we are today. We are in the height of change as we speak. Rebuilding and forging forward. Some compare our advances to the growth prior to the Golden Age. I hope we can all appreciate the depths of those words. I hope to see such change once more come upon our race, our planet.”

           A collective assortment of cheer erupted from the crowd. Mechs and femmes alike wolf whistled and hollered. Those already a little too drunk off the highgrade were a little more rambunctious than the rest, their energon cubes sloshing as they teetered where they sat and stood, whooping and hollering.

           Nobody seemed to mind. Then again, it was quite possible that no one seemed to notice, too captivated by Ultra Magnus’s speech.

           “I want to thank all of you for not only coming,” the mighty mech continued, “but for supporting each other and for supporting our home. May we continue to prosper, and put behind us the years that we can no longer recover. We have done each other a great deal of struggle over the years. We had to learn to coexist all over again. I, for one, take a great amount of pride in calling all of you my brethren.”

           His massive servo curled, sweeping over the crowd but pausing on those standing up front of the podium. Barricade, much like the nuisance he was, faked being awe-struck. Placing a servo against his chassis just over his spark, he went to fall backwards as if to faint.

           It made for some laughs, as his fainting trick quickly turned to a trust fall. Blackout went to reach out, using no effort whatsoever from his servo to catch Barricade and gently push the mech back up on his pedes. Blackout pretended like he’d done nothing polite of the sort, trying to maintain his usually grumpy outward appearance even as ‘Cade grabbed Blackout’s arm in a playful manner as a femme would her heroin.

           Nova was attempting to contain a laugh from Blackout’s shoulder, and Venus had a smirk on her face.

           Akila flicked her wrist at Magnus for him to continue. He felt a swelling of joy in his Spark seeing her proud smile as she looked up to him.

           “Allow me to rephrase my statement: I take great pride in calling most of you my brethren.”

           Laughter filled the room once more; this time louder, more prominent. Ultra Magnus cast a glance down to see Akila offering a thumbs-up, and seeing everyone smiling; save for ‘Cade and his attempt at looking like a mope that had been struck in the spark.

           Magnus flashed a grin. Feeling a little more at ease, he allowed the cheers and laughter to wash over him before the crowd settled down, naturally and at their own accord.

           “Thank you,” Magnus continued humbly, “For allowing me to be your host. Thank you for your dedication, your courage. Your service in the war and after. Thank you for your sacrifices, your bravery, and your loyalty. For your friendships and for those we’ve only just began in recent years. I salute you, one and all, on behalf of your perseverance and persistence.”

           Ultra Magnus snapped a servo up and straightened his posture. He noticed a few bots roll their optics, but they looked to the side and were shocked to see mirror images of salutes from those around them. The respect in audios shining back at the Autobot’s former Second-in-Command filled the room; a glow from optics of different colors and shapes.

           Warmed by the responses, Magnus’s shoulders sagged a little; not quite as formal in his stance. His optics snapped down at the datapad on the podium, down to the remainder of his speech with a slight amount of anxiety.

           Frag, he really hoped everyone didn’t think that his spontaneous gesture meant an end, he wasn’t even halfway through.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

           Akila jumped a little, feeling Venus prodding her in the side.

           “What’d you think of Magnus’s speech?”

           Glancing down to Novastrike and then back to Venus, Akila offered a mediocre shrug of her shoulders. “It was pretty good I guess.”

           “She looked like she was about to start panting,” Venus whispered to Nova, pretending as if Akila wasn’t between the two of them.

           “Definitely, definitely,” agreed the lioness.

           “Ugh-“ Akila groaned.

           “She loves us,” Venus stated warmly, throwing an arm over her friend’s shoulder. “Don’t you Akila?”

           “Totally loves us,” Nova parroted.

           Huffing and rolling her optics, Akila reached up to pluck Venus’s arm from around her. She dropped it to the side with an irked glare towards the pink and black femme.

           “Magnus’s speech was fine,” Akila stated matter-of-factly. “You two however, not so much.”

           “Fine?” Venus echoed. “Akila- he started off so strong and then had to spend the next couple of jours making everyone fall into recharge being less sappy, strong, authoritarn, big-mach-mech Magnus and started giving all these facts, figures, and statics on the growth of Cybertron and about the event. Blackout could have made a better speech.”

           “Woah, hey now,” Akila grumbled, her voice partially warning and partially wounded on behalf of her mate.

           “Nah,” Nova disagreed, sticking up for Akila as she hoped between the two. “Blackout’s speech would be something like this-“ she puffed up her white chassis and narrowed her optics- “ ‘Thanks for coming, I guess. I kicked most of your afts but didn’t kill any of you so you should probably be grateful. Also, why are we wasting our time at this lame event and wasting taxpayers money? You’re all lazy. Blackout, Out.’ “

           “At least it would have been shorter,” Venus offered.

           “I hate both of you so, so much,” Akila whimpered, rubbing around the side of her helm and near her ears. “I’m getting a processorache just listening to you two.”

           “Bet ya twenty credits she’s getting laid later Venus.”

           “I’ll take that bet; Magnus is going to still be too busy pacing wondering if his speech was any good that he’ll just keep Akila awake muttering to himself what he could have done differently.”

           “I hope you both die in a horrible accident,” Akila muttered, her expression blank as she glanced at them both.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

           “Well, that turned out very well,” Ultra Magnus stated in a pleasant voice.

           “No kiddin,” Barricade slurred, swishing the highgrade around in the cube he was holding.

           Blackout shook his head, his dark crimson optics offlining. “Maybe you should put down the highgrade now Cade, before you hurt yourself.”

           “Shut it Bla’ out, you’re not my Carrier.”

           “We got a heck of a lot to clean up, though,” Venus said in a faint voice, glancing around the emptied hall.

           Ultra Magnus passed a glance over to Akila. She, too, was observing the room but seemed to pick up on his cyan optics on her form. A small shiver ran over her with awareness and she glanced over to him curiously.

           “All the guests were accounted for leaving safely? Transports provided?”

           “Yes sir,” Akila informed him, her voice professional and stern.

           “There’s still a few guests outside,” Novastrike tacked on, “But they’re waiting for the valet to get their transports and for the taxi’s we called in to come. Some of them came on their own but it uh- was advised they were in no condition to drive or fly home.”

           “One too many highgrade,” Blackout rumbled in a deep voice, pushing Barricade away as he leaned into him. “Who would have guessed?”

           “Well, at least it wasn’t a total disaster,” Ultra Magnus stated happily, placing his servos on his hips.

           “Speak for yourself,” Nova sighed. “Just look at all the scrap we’ve got to clean up. The rental for this place runs out in a few jours too; this is going to be a nightmare.”

           “Could be worse,” Magnus gently reminded the small femme.

           A roll of thunder moved through the building. Everyone turned to look up to Ultra Magnus at the same time.

           The former Autobot SIC snapped his optics up, going on alert.

           “What was that you said, about it ‘could be worse’?” Venus asked with annoyance.

           “Could just be a storm?” Akila asked hopefully.

           Ultra Magnus’s optics shot up to the skyline, followed by five more sets of optics just in time to see the glass above shatter and a special ops member hit the ground with a dull thud, energon pooling instantly around his frame.

           “I don’t think that’s a storm,” Blackout stated nonchalantly.

           “Frag,” Magnus whispered in a hoarse voice. All that work, all the precautionary measures and just as things wrapped up for the evening, slag had to go down.

           The next explosion went off just above their heads, and that’s when all hell broke loose.