Fic: Cracks 4/4
TITLE: Cracks, part 4
SERIES: Imperfection Deviation
AUTHOR: Macx
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)
FEEDBACK: Loved
SUMMARY: Tony Stark is supposed to be able to bridge space. He's a genius, he's brilliant, he's a Prime, the Allspark reprogrammed his DNA... so why can't he do what his so-called heritage is? As always, Rodimus Prime is right with him in the middle of it... wherever 'it' is. It's what guardians and baby-sitters are for, right?
Apparently there was no outside trigger, just Extremis taking down safety measures and enabling Tony’s full access to whatever he could do. The Allspark had gifted him with this and it only worked when neutralized the restrictions. It was dangerous, but Tony felt a thrill run through him at the prospect of letting lose Extremis to gate.
What didn’t thrill him was the lack of understanding. It felt like it was on the tip of his tongue, like he was only one step away from getting a clue, but he apparently suffered from cognitive jet lag. His mind, as brilliant as it was, had yet to catch up to events and make sense of them.
But he would. Sooner or later.
Stark had created a very detailed map in his mind of all the places he had already identified through the cracks. Part of his underground garage had been turned into a huge research facility for space bridging and a twin lab had been erected in Yuma. Hook and Scrapper were doing their best to understand the ancient technology and Tony’s access to these powers, but it was proving to be a puzzle.
“Please be warned not to try this again too soon,” Ratchet told him when they went over what little they knew and understood.
Scrapper nodded his agreement. “I believe that while you have the ability to see the portals, the cracks, the long-distance jumps will always drain you, no matter what. Unless you use an anchor. Then the anchor’s energy will supplement yours.”
It was a variation of what Tony had been lectured about endlessly already.
“I solemnly swear,” was Tony’s rather cranky answer.
Though he would try it. At least he knew a few things about his ability. Like the fact that for now he needed the openings, the portals, to gate. But if the old data files were correct, the ancient mechs could do it without accessing already present tunnels between places. That was his goal. He wanted to teleport for real.
From Ratchet’s expression he knew he had been made. Not that the medic could do anything about it anyway. No one could.
When he was finally alone, Tony slumped back, running a tired hand through his hair. He was exhausted, despite catching some shut-eye, and despite the fact that physically he was fine again. Rodimus seemed to appear out of nowhere and sank down beside him, blue optics alert and watching him.
“Don’t worry, Roddy. I’m not about to go space-hopping.”
“I hope not. At least not before you have recovered completely and have a rudimentary understanding of what this is..”
“I’m fine.”
Not that the mech really believed him. Tony didn’t believe himself anymore either. He leaned back, head against the wall, staring off into space.
“We both know you’ll be at this again the moment you’re recovered,” Rodimus said conversationally.
Stark didn’t answer.
“And we both know you won’t stop until you know how it works.”
He refused to rise to the bait.
“And you know I won’t let you out of my sight.”
Tony rolled his head so he could look at the still so much taller mech. “I didn’t know we tied the knot, Roddy. When did that happen? While I was out? Was this some kind of weird Cybertronian ritual? Because I have to tell you, I’m not the marrying kind.”
The blue optics met his gaze steadily.
“Really,” Tony repeated, trying for light and failing.
He could feel Rodimus’ spark pulse gently. A power source so incredible, his arc reactor paled in comparison. It wasn’t as old as the sparks of Ratchet or Ironhide or Optimus Prime, but that didn’t matter. It was a power source Tony had a direct link to. It scared him. It actually terrified him. He had a line into the life of another being.
“You didn’t harm me on purpose,” Rodimus simply said, very much aware of his thoughts. “And I’ll stick around until you can handle this.”
“Might be a while.”
Rodimus shrugged. “Call it my assignment.”
“There have to be better ways to spend your free time.”
“None come to mind.”
Tony groaned. He had known this already. Well, he had both feared and secretly hoped for it.
“What if this happens again?”
“We’ll figure it out, Tony. I’ll also keep myself well-energized.”
“You’re really into this whole self-sacrificing shit.”
“I simply know the odds and I know you.”
Tony shook his head and got to his feet. Rodimus followed him as he walked across the gigantic topside hangar and toward the exit.
* * *
Tony could see the cracks. Fine lines in the fabric of reality. Portals that theoretically led everywhere he wanted to. He could feel them and he could see them. Some were stronger, indicating a viable portal, some were so faint, he didn’t dare peek. Each time he touched the stronger one, Extremis was wide open and ready, and he reigned in the instinctual reaction of the hybrid nanites to engage.
He learned quickly.
He taught himself to rely on the arc reactor for energy. And on the armor to immediately leave subspace and protect him from a possible mishap. Like a jump through the portal when he didn’t want to. He mapped the gateways, noted which ones were stronger and which ones were so weak and thin, trying them would probably not be a good idea.
It was still draining and it took a lot out of him mentally to steer through the gates. He kept himself confined to a defined area: Earth, the moon, the Ark. Once he overstepped and ended up way too close to Saturn. The few seconds he was able to look at the gigantic planet were forever imprinted in his mind.
Rodimus had threatened to tie him down for the rest of the day if he didn’t cut out the experiments for a while after that.
Tony had agreed, but only because he had been ready to drop dead. Not even in his worst days as an alcoholic and the life of every party had he ever felt this bad.
He had slept for almost the whole next day, uninterrupted.
Control was flimsy sometimes and he now knew how Lennox felt with his abilities. Or Sam. He needed the exercise, but he also needed a safe environment. And he needed an anchor.
That last thought had him clam up and throw himself into his business like there was no tomorrow. Tony knew who that anchor would be and he knew it was the most logical choice. They knew each other, he was always logged onto Rodimus Prime, but he also knew how dangerous it was for the mech to be that one person Tony could return to instinctually.
*
“You didn’t have to ask,” Rodimus told him as they sat together at Look Out Point.
Tony refused to meet the knowing optics. “This isn’t just another job, Roddy. I know I complain about you baby-sitting me, but this is more than that. Way more. If my theories are correct, anchoring to you will drain you in case I’m too far and jump back to you.”
“We can work on a safe procedure.”
“No.”
Rodimus tilted his head. “No?”
“There is no safe procedure. Going back to you means I’m in trouble up to my eyebrows and I simply jump. I won’t be able to initiate anything. I’ll just hop and wham!”
“We should talk to Ratchet, hear his opinion. We might want to involve Hook and Scrapper. They’ve been working on space bridge technology and know about energy requirements.”
He was silent, looking at the waves below.
“You can do this, Tony. We can do this,” Rodimus insisted. “We’re in this together, like it or not. Actually, all five of us are. You’re one of the Primes.” He smiled. “Guardian Prime.”
Tony chuckled humorlessly. “Finally got my name for good?”
“You already have a name. I think this one fits you.”
“I’m not a guardian.”
“You are. You protected us for all this time and you protect this planet. But it’s simply a title. Your name is Anthony Edward Stark. One of the Primes. We are all interconnected and if this is something only the two of us share, so be it. I’ll be your anchor, Tony.”
The billionaire didn’t say anything. His mind was going a thousand miles a minute and he felt Extremis stir, almost as if it reacted by instinct to his fight or flight reaction. He knew there was a crack around and he could use it, go anywhere, be somewhere else. It wouldn’t change what was happening to him, to them.
He hadn’t wanted this. Bridging space had sounded cool; it had sounded like an adventure. And Tony Stark was nothing if not cool and adventurous.
It had turned out to be a lot more, though. A lot more. With a lot of responsibility.
Like the Iron Man armor.
Like being a Prime.
Tony felt like he needed a really stiff drink. Actually, a whole bottle.
::No:: Roddy simply said. ::It won’t solve anything::
::It would. For at least a while. Until the hangover from Hell::
::I’ll pay for all the coffee and chocolate you want::
::What am I? The girl in this relationship? It’s not even Valentine’s so you can bribe me with chocolates:: Tony grinned at his friend, pushing the darker thoughts away.
Rodimus grinned back. “Coffee it is then,” he declared and transformed, rearranging the roof into the R8 Spyder version of his chosen camouflage body.
Tony chuckled and jumped into the hideously expensive sports car. Driving with the top down was his favorite, feeling the wind in his hair, almost like flying. And with the speed Roddy could reach, it was flying.
They headed away from Tony’s equally hideously expensive home and down the highway. LA wasn’t far away and Stark had a meeting to go to, as much as he hated those boring business events. But it was his company, it was his money, and he had to take care of it.
*
Six months after the first time Tony had accidentally gated himself and Rodimus Prime to Cybertron for a very brief moment, he had mastered his new ability to a degree. He could identify most cracks and see where portals went, though some destinations were puzzling, especially the long-distance ones. He stuck to the places around Earth. He could jump short distances and arrive exactly where he had wanted to. It was an energy draining exercise, so he kept it to a minimum. As much fun as it was, as much time as it saved him, it didn’t look good for Tony Stark to end up flat on his face every time. He also needed to be in his armor, so paying a surprise visit to Pepper in her office or cutting back on flight times was a no-go.
Too bad.
That Rodimus was able to tell where exactly his friend and charge was located - and could really home in on it - had been a shock and a surprise in one. It had given Tony a few ideas, too. The ancient Primes had insisted that all of them could use this space bridging technique. Maybe Rodimus was taking the first step?
He would have to see.
Interesting times ahead, Tony thought as he doodled on his pad, ignoring the discussion all around him about the current advertising campaign of SI. He didn’t miss anything, Extremis giving him eidetic memory-like abilities, almost like sound was recorded to be played back to him when he needed it. He would add his five cents, then leave the discussion again.
Yes, he would have to prod Roddy to try gating, too.
Tony grinned to himself.
It would be fun.
fin for this one. I'll be off to my usual vacation to escape my birthday by tomorrow. More fic when I get back from Ireland.
SERIES: Imperfection Deviation
AUTHOR: Macx
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)
FEEDBACK: Loved
SUMMARY: Tony Stark is supposed to be able to bridge space. He's a genius, he's brilliant, he's a Prime, the Allspark reprogrammed his DNA... so why can't he do what his so-called heritage is? As always, Rodimus Prime is right with him in the middle of it... wherever 'it' is. It's what guardians and baby-sitters are for, right?
Apparently there was no outside trigger, just Extremis taking down safety measures and enabling Tony’s full access to whatever he could do. The Allspark had gifted him with this and it only worked when neutralized the restrictions. It was dangerous, but Tony felt a thrill run through him at the prospect of letting lose Extremis to gate.
What didn’t thrill him was the lack of understanding. It felt like it was on the tip of his tongue, like he was only one step away from getting a clue, but he apparently suffered from cognitive jet lag. His mind, as brilliant as it was, had yet to catch up to events and make sense of them.
But he would. Sooner or later.
Stark had created a very detailed map in his mind of all the places he had already identified through the cracks. Part of his underground garage had been turned into a huge research facility for space bridging and a twin lab had been erected in Yuma. Hook and Scrapper were doing their best to understand the ancient technology and Tony’s access to these powers, but it was proving to be a puzzle.
“Please be warned not to try this again too soon,” Ratchet told him when they went over what little they knew and understood.
Scrapper nodded his agreement. “I believe that while you have the ability to see the portals, the cracks, the long-distance jumps will always drain you, no matter what. Unless you use an anchor. Then the anchor’s energy will supplement yours.”
It was a variation of what Tony had been lectured about endlessly already.
“I solemnly swear,” was Tony’s rather cranky answer.
Though he would try it. At least he knew a few things about his ability. Like the fact that for now he needed the openings, the portals, to gate. But if the old data files were correct, the ancient mechs could do it without accessing already present tunnels between places. That was his goal. He wanted to teleport for real.
From Ratchet’s expression he knew he had been made. Not that the medic could do anything about it anyway. No one could.
When he was finally alone, Tony slumped back, running a tired hand through his hair. He was exhausted, despite catching some shut-eye, and despite the fact that physically he was fine again. Rodimus seemed to appear out of nowhere and sank down beside him, blue optics alert and watching him.
“Don’t worry, Roddy. I’m not about to go space-hopping.”
“I hope not. At least not before you have recovered completely and have a rudimentary understanding of what this is..”
“I’m fine.”
Not that the mech really believed him. Tony didn’t believe himself anymore either. He leaned back, head against the wall, staring off into space.
“We both know you’ll be at this again the moment you’re recovered,” Rodimus said conversationally.
Stark didn’t answer.
“And we both know you won’t stop until you know how it works.”
He refused to rise to the bait.
“And you know I won’t let you out of my sight.”
Tony rolled his head so he could look at the still so much taller mech. “I didn’t know we tied the knot, Roddy. When did that happen? While I was out? Was this some kind of weird Cybertronian ritual? Because I have to tell you, I’m not the marrying kind.”
The blue optics met his gaze steadily.
“Really,” Tony repeated, trying for light and failing.
He could feel Rodimus’ spark pulse gently. A power source so incredible, his arc reactor paled in comparison. It wasn’t as old as the sparks of Ratchet or Ironhide or Optimus Prime, but that didn’t matter. It was a power source Tony had a direct link to. It scared him. It actually terrified him. He had a line into the life of another being.
“You didn’t harm me on purpose,” Rodimus simply said, very much aware of his thoughts. “And I’ll stick around until you can handle this.”
“Might be a while.”
Rodimus shrugged. “Call it my assignment.”
“There have to be better ways to spend your free time.”
“None come to mind.”
Tony groaned. He had known this already. Well, he had both feared and secretly hoped for it.
“What if this happens again?”
“We’ll figure it out, Tony. I’ll also keep myself well-energized.”
“You’re really into this whole self-sacrificing shit.”
“I simply know the odds and I know you.”
Tony shook his head and got to his feet. Rodimus followed him as he walked across the gigantic topside hangar and toward the exit.
* * *
Tony could see the cracks. Fine lines in the fabric of reality. Portals that theoretically led everywhere he wanted to. He could feel them and he could see them. Some were stronger, indicating a viable portal, some were so faint, he didn’t dare peek. Each time he touched the stronger one, Extremis was wide open and ready, and he reigned in the instinctual reaction of the hybrid nanites to engage.
He learned quickly.
He taught himself to rely on the arc reactor for energy. And on the armor to immediately leave subspace and protect him from a possible mishap. Like a jump through the portal when he didn’t want to. He mapped the gateways, noted which ones were stronger and which ones were so weak and thin, trying them would probably not be a good idea.
It was still draining and it took a lot out of him mentally to steer through the gates. He kept himself confined to a defined area: Earth, the moon, the Ark. Once he overstepped and ended up way too close to Saturn. The few seconds he was able to look at the gigantic planet were forever imprinted in his mind.
Rodimus had threatened to tie him down for the rest of the day if he didn’t cut out the experiments for a while after that.
Tony had agreed, but only because he had been ready to drop dead. Not even in his worst days as an alcoholic and the life of every party had he ever felt this bad.
He had slept for almost the whole next day, uninterrupted.
Control was flimsy sometimes and he now knew how Lennox felt with his abilities. Or Sam. He needed the exercise, but he also needed a safe environment. And he needed an anchor.
That last thought had him clam up and throw himself into his business like there was no tomorrow. Tony knew who that anchor would be and he knew it was the most logical choice. They knew each other, he was always logged onto Rodimus Prime, but he also knew how dangerous it was for the mech to be that one person Tony could return to instinctually.
*
“You didn’t have to ask,” Rodimus told him as they sat together at Look Out Point.
Tony refused to meet the knowing optics. “This isn’t just another job, Roddy. I know I complain about you baby-sitting me, but this is more than that. Way more. If my theories are correct, anchoring to you will drain you in case I’m too far and jump back to you.”
“We can work on a safe procedure.”
“No.”
Rodimus tilted his head. “No?”
“There is no safe procedure. Going back to you means I’m in trouble up to my eyebrows and I simply jump. I won’t be able to initiate anything. I’ll just hop and wham!”
“We should talk to Ratchet, hear his opinion. We might want to involve Hook and Scrapper. They’ve been working on space bridge technology and know about energy requirements.”
He was silent, looking at the waves below.
“You can do this, Tony. We can do this,” Rodimus insisted. “We’re in this together, like it or not. Actually, all five of us are. You’re one of the Primes.” He smiled. “Guardian Prime.”
Tony chuckled humorlessly. “Finally got my name for good?”
“You already have a name. I think this one fits you.”
“I’m not a guardian.”
“You are. You protected us for all this time and you protect this planet. But it’s simply a title. Your name is Anthony Edward Stark. One of the Primes. We are all interconnected and if this is something only the two of us share, so be it. I’ll be your anchor, Tony.”
The billionaire didn’t say anything. His mind was going a thousand miles a minute and he felt Extremis stir, almost as if it reacted by instinct to his fight or flight reaction. He knew there was a crack around and he could use it, go anywhere, be somewhere else. It wouldn’t change what was happening to him, to them.
He hadn’t wanted this. Bridging space had sounded cool; it had sounded like an adventure. And Tony Stark was nothing if not cool and adventurous.
It had turned out to be a lot more, though. A lot more. With a lot of responsibility.
Like the Iron Man armor.
Like being a Prime.
Tony felt like he needed a really stiff drink. Actually, a whole bottle.
::No:: Roddy simply said. ::It won’t solve anything::
::It would. For at least a while. Until the hangover from Hell::
::I’ll pay for all the coffee and chocolate you want::
::What am I? The girl in this relationship? It’s not even Valentine’s so you can bribe me with chocolates:: Tony grinned at his friend, pushing the darker thoughts away.
Rodimus grinned back. “Coffee it is then,” he declared and transformed, rearranging the roof into the R8 Spyder version of his chosen camouflage body.
Tony chuckled and jumped into the hideously expensive sports car. Driving with the top down was his favorite, feeling the wind in his hair, almost like flying. And with the speed Roddy could reach, it was flying.
They headed away from Tony’s equally hideously expensive home and down the highway. LA wasn’t far away and Stark had a meeting to go to, as much as he hated those boring business events. But it was his company, it was his money, and he had to take care of it.
*
Six months after the first time Tony had accidentally gated himself and Rodimus Prime to Cybertron for a very brief moment, he had mastered his new ability to a degree. He could identify most cracks and see where portals went, though some destinations were puzzling, especially the long-distance ones. He stuck to the places around Earth. He could jump short distances and arrive exactly where he had wanted to. It was an energy draining exercise, so he kept it to a minimum. As much fun as it was, as much time as it saved him, it didn’t look good for Tony Stark to end up flat on his face every time. He also needed to be in his armor, so paying a surprise visit to Pepper in her office or cutting back on flight times was a no-go.
Too bad.
That Rodimus was able to tell where exactly his friend and charge was located - and could really home in on it - had been a shock and a surprise in one. It had given Tony a few ideas, too. The ancient Primes had insisted that all of them could use this space bridging technique. Maybe Rodimus was taking the first step?
He would have to see.
Interesting times ahead, Tony thought as he doodled on his pad, ignoring the discussion all around him about the current advertising campaign of SI. He didn’t miss anything, Extremis giving him eidetic memory-like abilities, almost like sound was recorded to be played back to him when he needed it. He would add his five cents, then leave the discussion again.
Yes, he would have to prod Roddy to try gating, too.
Tony grinned to himself.
It would be fun.
fin for this one. I'll be off to my usual vacation to escape my birthday by tomorrow. More fic when I get back from Ireland.