Endport Saga Epilogue: Part 2
The Maximals have been vindicated now all the questions will be answered. Now the Maximals do what they do best.. Party!
PART TWO
A wry smile crosses Relic's face as he gingerly envelops Phyphen's hands in his own oversized claws.
"That's right," he murmurs, inclining his head slightly.
The assassin looks up from the small bot and smiles warily at his friend.
“Hullo Querion.”
Staring at the 'bot massive claws as he takes her hand in his, Phyphen cannot help but gasp. Looking down at her own hand after the contact, she was surprised that she wasn't hurt.
"Whoa...you must seem pretty scary with those claws," smiling, and straightening herself, "...but I could take ya! I'm not afraid of anything!"
Querion looked at Phyphen's antics, bemused, and chuckled. He placed a warm hand on her shoulder, and sat her down on a chair. He filled his tankard with some punch, and placed it gently in front of her. Pulling himself a chair, he got another two tankards and filled them with ale.
"What's that?" queried Phyphen.
"Nothing that you should drink," replied Querion. "Stick to punch."
The young femme made a monkey face at the wolf-bot and turned her attentions to her drink. Querion placed one of the mugs in front of Relic, and sat down, beckoning his friend to do the same.
"Where on Cybertron have you been?"
Relic gratefully took a seat. One clawed hand closed around the proffered mug and the other made a vague gesture up at the side of his head. “Oh… I’ve been around… somewhere… I went for a walk… someone wanted to talk to me.” Abruptly Relic looked over his shoulder and around the room. “Where is she?“ he murmured raising a claw and raping it against the side of his head, making an auditable ticking noise, a concerned look in his eyes.
Calico watched Querion hanging out with that odd panther and the young girl, and sighed. He was a terrible dancer, but he had been nice. She mentally shrugged it off and turned to Mimi.
"So you and my Bucky are a couple?" she asked. "How are things for you two?"
----------
"Uh huh uh huh uh huh huh..." Weede giggled.
"Hee hee hee tee hee hee!" Penji chuckled.
"Eh ha ha hah ha ha hah!" Rubmur laughed.
"Uh huh huh uh huh huh uh huh..."
"Hee tee hee hee tee hee!"
"Ha ha hah ha hah ha hah!"
"Uh huh huh uh huh uh huh..."
"Tee hee hee hee tee hee hee!"
"Ha ha hah ha hah ha hah!"
"What were we laughing about?" Rubmur asked.
"Penji forget." Penji replied.
"Uh...my butt itches." Weede drawled. "Uh huh uh huh uh huh huh huh..."
"Tee hee hee hee tee hee hee!"
"Ha hah ha hah ha hah ha ha!"
-------------
"Hey Wraith! WAAAAZZZZUUUPPP??!!" Buckshot yelled.
"WHAAAZZZZUUUUPPP???!!" Solarflare yelled.
"Uh...whazzup." Wraith said with some annoyance at having his conversation with Rhapsody cut off.
"How's it going, man?" Buckshot said, slapping him on the back. "Wanna go for some Party Olympics?"
"Party Olympics?"
"Yeah. First event, Arm Wrestling." Buckshot replied.
"Second event, Chug-A-Lug." Solarflare added.
"Third event, Strip Club Mud Wrestling!" Buckshot continued.
"Fourth and final event, Last Man Standing!" Solarflare finished.
"Last man standing?" Wraith repeated.
"The last guy to not get so hammered he passes out, wins!" Buckshot grinned.
Vinoc was leaning in the corner, arms crossed. He was starring at the floor, thinking back to the day before the trial, and his first argument with his younger sister in a long time.
***Flashback***
He had busted into the CR Chamber's, looking around, he had saw Tundra in one of the chambers. He also noticed Retro in front of the SAME D*MN CHABMER AS MY SISTER. He had walked up to Retro and said to him. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER, YOU LITTLE RODENT!!!!!" Retro looked at the much larger and physically stronger Vinoc, and said "I didn't do anything!"
He then picked Retro out of his chair, and slammed him to his feet, "When I talk to you, boy, you had better get to your feet, you got me!?!" Ret had looked at him, and said "look, i didn't do anything to your sister, I..." He had cut him off, "Yeah, right, like i belive you, if you don't tell me the truth this could get real ugly, real quick." The kid had just looked at him, and said "I already told you, i didn't do anything to her." Vinoc grabbed his gun and raised it to Ret's head "I've had enough of this, prepare to be slagged!" right as he was about to pull the trigger, the CR chamber opened, and Tundra stepped out. She was slightly befuddled, but when she registered the sceen in front of her, she instantly came out of that. "What the he|| are you doing, Vinoc!?!?!" Vinoc turned to her, dropping the gun in surprise. "Tundra, what did he..." Tundra then cut him off. "This is so like you, assuming that my friends did something to me. You are just like dad you know that?" "What! I am nothing like our father, he was a politician, through in through." Tundra then processeded to punch Vinoc in the stomach, even though she knew she wouldn't hurt him that much, he had taken a punch from worse then her. She then said to him "You need to grow up, I'm not a little kid anymore Vinoc, and i refuse to be treated like one. If you want to continue to live in the past, then find someone else to treat like a kid who needs to be defended." Right then the door opened, and the Corecters had taken them to the baracks where they spent the night.
***End Flashback***
Vinoc looked up, and decided that a change was necissary. He needed to face facts, his sister was no longer a little girl who needed a bodyguard, like she said. He needed to change his attitude. He suddenly heard Buckshot ask Wraith. He walked over to him and said. "If you don't mind, I'll join you in this, it should proove interesting."
“YOU.”
Something brown exploded from between Querion and Phyphen. In a movement to fast to follow Relic was out of his chair and crouched beside it. His attacker flew through the seat, smashing it to bits, and landed in a roll, coming up with both blasters drawn.
A few moments after they’d left the trial the foggy notion she should be worried about something cleared up and Rita realized she hadn’t seen Catfish since they’d left the Xavior and set off on a frantic search through the neighborhood. She’d just stopped by the party to see if the fuzor had come back. She’d been about to head back out when she spotted Relic and remembered he had been the last person with Catfish, while he was locked up in the CR room. Then she recalled why he’d been locked up, murder.
Now rationally this sketchy line of reasoning wouldn’t warrant physical assault, but rationality wasn’t Rita’s strong suit, especially when Catfish was concerned.
“Where is she?” The mink hissed.
“Catfish? Uhhh…” Relic paused, one hand rested on the hilt of his sword, still resting in it’s sheath. “She… she should be along soon, I…” the dark bot hesitated, wondering how he was going to explain this… “I’m don’t really know…” Suddenly the assassin’s eyes widened as he realized that that was most definitely the wrong answer.
Relic landed lightly on the table and glanced from the enraged mink to the blackened hole in the floor where he’d just been standing and realized he needed to give the right answer and very quickly or Rita was going to demolish the building.
“What did you do with her?!”
“Nothing!”
“Then where IS she?”
“I’m…not sure. I think she may be gone…”
Before Relic had a chance to say “…for a while” the table beneath him vaporized. As were the next five surfaces which were unlucky enough to have him land on them.
Phyphen leapt back from her seat, almost spilling her pink punch as the blurry femme dove between her and Querion.
Poised and ready to rip Relic's throat out, the femme started freaking out. (phyphen's point of view)
"Leave him alone!" the young 'bot screamed. "We were trying to have a conversation, can you be any more rude?!?!" Standing up where her chair used to be, her hand flashed over to her sword.
phyphen watched in terror as the panther disappeared before her very eyes. Stepping over to peer down the new hole the femme had created, the Maximal got quite upset.
Grabbing her punch, the young fox splashed the unknown feem in the face with it, "Go away! Go pick on someone else.., geez, you sure are cranky."
"Damnit!" cursed Querion, his face distorted in exasperation and frustration. Not another one? These little scuffles were breaking out one too often, with often destructive results. "We should get you quarantined," he sighed, looking with dismay at the assassin under siege. The wolf-bot leapt from his seat, and grabbed Rita by a hand.
"Relax, Rita," the wolf-bot said neutrally, even allowing a small smile on his face.
WHACK!! Went the butt of the mink's gun, as she smacked Querion over the head with it. The wolf-bot went tumbling over a table, levering a bowl of punch into the air. The glass bowl clattered harmlessly onto the ground, the cold beverage it just held seeping all over the ground. Querion sighed. Rita definitely was taking baby-sitting to extremes.
"Enough!" said the wolf-bot, in a louder, more authoritative tone. He wasn't used to giving orders, and that sounded... weird. He grabbed Rita around her wrists, and yanked her arms upwards, so that her blasters faced the ceilings. "All right that's enough. Please Rita, I don't want to ACCKK!!-"
Querion could feel his throat tighten, as Rita's sentient rope increased its stranglehold. It was a strange sight: Relic shying away in a corner, Rita being held back by Querion, Querion being choked by Rita's rope.
If it weren't so serious, it might have been funny.
The thought had occured to Wraith to assist his friends in their little struggle, but he decided it was better this way. Now he wouldn't have to think of an excuse to avoid their stupid booze games and get back to Rhapsody.
Finishing his drink he turned to her and..."Dammit, now where did she go?"
Rhapsody stood infront of Querion and Rita. "THis is a party guys, the last thing we need is a fight." she said clamly. The rope and Querion slwoly released their grips and the wo glared at each for a moment. She sifted back through the crowd slightly back to Wraith. "Now what did you want to talk about?"
-----------------
Solarflare and Buckshot had already began compition in the party olympics.
Wraith spoke very quietly. "I've been doing a lot of thinking Rhapsody, about us. About the future, and well..." He was silent for a moment.
Rhapsody fidgeted slightly, what was this about? She was nervous about what Wraith would say next.
The wolfbot looked around. "Listen, we need to be alone."
“Cut that out!” Rita yelled at the rope who slackened, she said something similar but less polite to Querion as she yanked her hand out of his grip and turned back to Relic.
Who was…glowing.
Glowing deep purple, the light twisted oozed outwards in tentacle-like tendrils. The panther didn’t seem surprised by this, or at least not as surprised as those watching, and very calmly stood there as the strange purple stuff seeped out of him, collected in front of him in a humanoid shape, and turned blue.
“Hi Querion! Hi Relic! Hi…” Catfish was cut off as Rita grabbed her and hugged her.
“Never EVER do that again. I was very, very worried. Where were you? You were doing weird purple stuff again weren’t you? I wish you’d tell me about these things instead of making my brain fuzzy.”
“Hi Rita!” Catfish finished, “I’m sorry, but it was kinda important.” After thinking a moment she added reproachfully: I think you need to apologize to Relic.”
“Oh, right.” Rita replied as the last few minutes of her life resurfaced in her mind. She put Catfish down and looked around. The assassin was sitting a few feet away, he looked tired.
“Hey.” She said walking over, “Sorry about attacking you and all that.”
“I’m used to it.” Relic absentmindedly reached to tug up his cloak, then recalled he wasn’t wearing it.
“Still sorry, I just go a bit insane when I think ‘Fish might be dead or hurt, and that’s what I think when I lose her and no cataclysmic disasters pop up.”
“Understandable.”
Rita paused, “Why am I covered in punch?”
“I believe Phyphen splashed you in the face with her glass.”
“Oh.” Rita licked her finger, “Not bad. Where’s the punch bowl?”
“I believe Querion knocked it over.”
“Oh, I’ll find another one then. Catfish!” She yelled over her shoulder, “Want some punch?”
“Okay!”
“Good, I’ll go get some.”
Phyphen's jaw dropped as she witnessed what had just happened.
The femme 'bot just dismissed everything that had just happened. She wasn't even mad. Rita... her name was Rita. That was what everyone was calling her.
And who's the other short 'bot. Phyphen's brow furrowed as she tried to understand what had just occurred.
Walking over to where Relic was, she sat down beside her, and the unknown 'bot.
Relic offered Querion and Pyphen a weak grin before knocking back another shot of whatever it was that Querion gave him.
“Now where we? We...” he turned to look at Pyphen. “Where getting aquatinted...” He then turned to Querion. “... and you where looking for some clarifications. As to where I’ve been,” The assassin jerked his finger in Catfish’s direction. “I was with her, don’t ask me where because I couldn’t explain it if my life depended on it... but I have to ask you. Have you seen any sign of the... thing that...” Suddenly Relic’s voice trails off as he turned to look at something, a look of irritation crossing his face then, abruptly, sad resignation.
“Oh my,” he murmured. “I think perhaps we’ll have to continue this talk at another time.”
The wolf-bot turned to see what his friend is looking at and finds a mousy looking femme in a MIP (Maximal Intersector Police) Uniform. Behind her where two heavily armed bots in similar uniforms waiting at the door. The femme’s eyes fell on Relic, she consulted her pad and then walked up to him. Relic rises and grabs his cloak, throwing it over one arm just as the officer moves up to him.
“Is your name Praetoris?” She inquires coolly.
An amused smile crosses Relic’s face, it was one of the aliases he had gone by in his long career, abandoned after a badly botched mission. “That would be one of them, yes.”
Relic admits inclining his head.
Instantly the femme’s hand goes to the heavy pistol at her hip. “Sir, I’m placing you under arrest for the murders of Santo Mechnos...” The rest of the names where drowned out by the sound of Querion rising to his feet, a protest on his lips, Relic raised a hand, warning his friend off as the officer forcefully completed the charges “... and Mako Canis in the City of Endport on the Planet of Gaiana. Will you please come with me, sir?” the officer waved a hand and the two armored officers moved in, their weapons trained on the assassin.
“Those won’t be necessary, I’ll come quietly. Just give me one moment please.” Relic murmurs as he very slowly, loosely wraps his cloak around his shoulders. The officer eyed him for a moment, then gestured at the soldiers. They lowered their guns but her hand never left her side-arm.
“It looks like it’s going to be another long while in-between talks for us,” Relic sighs regretfully to Querion. “Though, you’ll know where to find me, and I imagine I’ll see you from time to time.”
“Don’t be ridiculous Relic, those murders... they... they weren’t you... they...” Querion begins before Relic raises a finger to silence him.
“There’s no way of proving it, and besides, I may not deserve the punishment for these crimes, but there are others for which I haven’t paid my due. I know that’s small comfort to you, but it means something to me.”
“Sir...” the femme murmured, her voice insistent.
“I’ll see you around Querion.” Relic says with a wink before turning back to the police officers.
“Your weapon, sir.” The women says, raising a gloved hand. Ever so slowly Relic unbuckles his sword, and hands the sheathed blade to the femme, leaving his hands in the air. The officer pulled two large metal devices from her belt, and then gently placed them on the Assassin’s clawed hands. The device looked like two tubes with domes on the top, and they totally incased Relic’s lethal claws. With a beep they hissed shut around his wrists and with a hum, connected together in front of him. The femme began leading Relic out of the barracks, with the two other officers falling into place behind their captive.
Suddenly Timber appeared at Querion’s side, a nervous hand resting on his shoulder. “Is that Relic? What’s going on Querion?” she breathes.
The wolf-bot watched quietly as Relic was escorted away by the MIP officers, raised his mug in the air, and murmured, "Goodbye," before downing the contents. Querion fell back onto his chair, shook his head, and sighed.
"What's going on Querion?" Timber asked again, her voice more tinged with concern.
"Reckoning, Timber. Relic's reckoning."
The wolf-bot massaged his temples, easing away the throbbing pain he felt in his head. "He's been brought in for some... murders he's committed. Guess we won't be seeing him for a while," said Querion with a sad smile. "I believe he didn't do it, not on purpose, but what am I against the whole world? My belief in him cannot help him, Timber, so I had to watch him go. Like so many of my friends."
The swordsman fell silent. But what if he did do it? And those devoured sparks...
No, Querion shook his head. His faith in his friend can't waver, not now. Not when Relic needed a friend most. He was not better. He was but a tamed berserker, but ready to burst free any moment. What right did he have to pass judgement?
Another friend gone. His world now felt colder, smaller, and himself lonelier.
"I've lost many friends in this particular fight for Endport. I don't want to see another go." Querion paused. He put down his tankard, and looked earnestly into the she-wolf's eyes.
"Don't leave me, Timber. Not like the others."
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