Chapter Text
“Verity, are you positive that you still wish for me to come on this trip?”
Verity rolled her eyes at the vidscreen, “YES. For the last time Uncle Mag--Uncle Minimus. I want you and your--what’s the word again? Conjunct?”
“Conjunx.”
“That, yes. I want you and your ex-con conjunx--who you still haven’t introduced me to, by the way, to come visit Earth for my birthday.”
“Verity, I--”
“Besides! You’re both going to be using your holomatter avatars, anyway. It’s not gonna cause a riot, even if we see other people.”
“I suppose you are right…”
“What are you so afraid of?” Verity grinned haphazardly, locking eyes with the green and white mech on the other end of the call. It was still an adjustment, realizing that she was talking to Ultra Magnus, but whatever he looked like, his wording and inflection were just, so distinctly Magnus.
Minimus sighed, “I am... afraid that you will be disappointed in me.”
“No way! Are you kidding!? I mean, I’m shocked, one--that you actually got FREAKING MARRIED without telling me, and two--that it’s an ex-con, sure. But I’m uber proud of you! It sounds like you actually did something that made YOU happy for once!”
“I…”
“And I think it’s been good for you. You’ve been waaaay more relaxed when we’ve video chatted for the last year or so.” Verity flashed another wicked grin, “And besides--with your ridiculously high standards, how bad could he possibly be?”
Minimus started to say something, but Verity cut him off and ended the call, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Uncle Mins! Stop worrying so much!”
Verity fiddled with her phone absentmindedly, scanning the woods of the state park nearby. She knew Minimus had been nervous about all this, but with Springer away on Cybertron and the Lost Light passing by, it seemed like as good a time as any to press the issue.
She didn’t care that Minimus’s conjunx was an ex-con, whoever he was. God knows, there’d been enough of those running around these days, all not being terrible people, robots, Cybertronians, for the most part. Really, as long as Minimus is happy, then it’s all good (but she'd still like to meet him.)
She glanced at her phone again. It still wasn’t time yet (technically), but Ultra Magnus was always 15-30 minutes early so she was getting antsy waiting for the time they agreed to meet up.
This really wasn’t his thing--inviting him on a camping trip. But she had a feeling that a more isolated activity would be best, based on Minimus’s reluctance to introduce her to his husband. (Did they still use that word if they’re talking in English sometimes? She’d have to ask.) If nothing else, at least the scenery would be pretty to look at?
Her phone buzzed and she looked down.
A text message from Perceptor flashed across her screen. ‘Permission to use your phone’s GPS location so we know where to transmit the holomatter avatars?’
‘Granted! Hi Percy!’
‘Hello, Verity. Have fun. Brainstorm says, “hi,” as well.’
Verity smiled, speaking of unusual pairs… Now that was an unexpected couple.
A flash of light behind her drew her attention. When she turned there were two men standing there.
One was tall and lean, with light skin and grey hair and he wore a long coat that looked like it was straight out of Mad Max. (Shoulder pads? Really?) The other was shorter, about Verity’s height, wearing something that looked vaguely like a uniform, with dark skin and hair, and...a moustache. She wasn't sure how these holomatter things worked but it was so spot on for Minimus’s facial insignia she almost fell over.
Instead she jumped up and threw her arms around the shorter man, giving him a bear hug, “Ah! You’re here! I was getting worried!”
“Yes,” He replied, and returned her hug with a surprisingly warm one of his own. “Forgive our tardiness, we had some difficulty finding the location.”
Verity laughed, “Don’t worry, you’re still a couple minutes early--so right on time, Uncle Minimus.”
“Yes, well…”
His voice didn’t sound exactly like his normal one, but she'd gotten used to the transition from Ultra Magnus to Minimus Ambus so she knew she’d manage this. She stepped back and put one hand on her hip, gesturing to the taller man with the other, “Well, you’d better introduce me!”
The two men looked at each other, their mouths pulled into mirrored frowns. The taller one spoke first, turning back to Verity, “To be clear--if my presence here makes you uncomfortable in any way, then I can leave.”
She felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins. Just as she’d recognize Ultra Magnus’s voice coming from Minimus or his holo avatar, she recognized this one.
What the hell was Megatron doing here!?!
“Shit,” She looked back and forth between the two of them as her realization reached the obvious conclusion. No wonder Minimus had been hesitant to bring him. “Shit, shit, shit.” She sat back down, one hand on her forehead, taking several rapid, shallow breaths and looking back up at Minimus, “You actually married fucking--” she gestured wildly to the taller man, “HIM!?!”
Minimus slumped slightly, “I, err...yes.”
Verity inhaled, raised her hand, lowered it, then raised it again before finally speaking, “Okay, well, first. First, I think, I have some questions.”
After the initial shock wore off, it did, actually--in some ABSOLUTELY INSANE way-- make some amount of sense. At least with how the two of them had put it.
Well, okay--with how Minimus put it. Megatron was clearly trying to not freak her out as much as possible (which was, quite possibly, freaking her out even more). But as much as she could surmise, the Lost Light was a bit of a madhouse, and they had kind of hit it off while commiserating. Which sure, but Megatron, seriously?
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid. Afraid that you would not want to speak to me again, or that you would think I had lost my mind.”
“I do think you’ve absolutely lost your mind! But that doesn’t mean I would stop talking to you. You’re… Well, you’re family.” She paused before reaching for his hand and giving it a firm squeeze. “Some of the only family I have left.”
He squeezed back, “I know,” he replied quietly.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
“Well,” Verity said, and paused.
“Well?”
She took a deep breath, “Well, I think you still owe me an introduction.”
“Verity, we are both perfectly serious, neither of us will take offense if you want just my company for the next couple of days.”
“Yeah, I know you are,” she stood up, stretching, “but so am I. He’s important to you, and even if I don’t quite get it-- I want to, Uncle Minimus.” She offered her hand down to help him up, “Really.”
He took her hand as she helped pull him up, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Megatron’s holo-avatar stood some distance away, his back to them both, far enough to give them privacy, near enough to be in sight.
“Megatron?” Minimus said, turning his head towards the taller man.
Megatron glanced over at them quizzically before walking closer.
Minimus gestured between the two of them, “Verity this is my conjunx endura, Megatron. Megatron, this is my, to use an Earth term, niece, Verity.”
Verity stuck out her hand and smiled uneasily, “I’m glad Minimus finally decided to bring you along.”
Megatron nodded, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake.