The 3:30 AM Call (AU)

Log Title: The 3:30 AM Call

Characters: AU-Buster, Jesse Macchio (AU), Megan (AU), Sam Witwicky (AU)

Location: Home of Buster Witwicky and Jesse Macchio

Date: 2046

TP: Apocalypse World TP

Summary: Buster gets terrible news about his brother.

As logged by Buster - Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 9:38 PM

Home of Buster Witwicky and Jesse Macchio
2046 - Buster's 71. He's in bed with Jesse - at around 3:30 in the morning. Suddenly... their Amazon Echo-like device chirps. Jesse is the light sleeper in the bunch, so she quickly gets up and gets her phone (we still use those). "H..hello?" She says groggily. Jesse's voice gets short. "Yeah...wait...what? Where?" Her voice trails off "Oh my god...they couldn't.." She gulps "How?" A few more moments of silence. "Right...okay...yeah...we'll be there..."

Buster sleeps like the dead, and as he's aged his hearing has gotten worse -- he's oblivious to Jesse's distress.

Jesse's eyes close and she lets out a heavy sigh, trying to figure out how to do this. It was so much easier with Sparkplug - as his death was expected. She didn't even know that Spike was off Earth. She rubs Buster's shoulder. "Buster...Buster...get up..."

Buster mutters in his sleep. "A purely formal science," he mumbles. "Having nothing to say." He turns away from Jesse, grabbing the pillow and trying to bury his head in it.

Jesse sighs in exasperation. She then shakes Buster harder. "Buster...Buster...goddamnit, get up!"

Buster turns back and blinks away sleep. "What?" he asks, picking up the tone of frustration in Jesse's voice. "What is it?" He sits up slightly and tries to focus.

Jesse gulps and says matter of factly "We gotta go to Autobot City...now." She pauses, and then says "Spike was killed today. I mean, yesterday. A few hours ago..."

"What?" Buster stammers, his watery blue eyes widening to a nearly comedic effect, if this wasn't such a bad time. "What happened?" He throws off the covers and slides off the bed into black slippers, straightening his pajamas absent-mindedly as he heads for his dresser. "Oh, my God. Does Carly know?" Buster starts blindly pulling clothes out of his bureau and throwing them on the bed.

Jesse nods. "Yeah...Carly knows. He's still on...some planet. They're bringing him back soon. He uh...it was some Deception - he was stabbed." She sighs "They said Bumblebee and Crosscut were with him."

"Oh, thank God. At least he wasn't alone. It was a Decepticon? Damn him for staying in the field, at that age. I barely even teach!" Buster grumbles. He pulls off his pajama top and puts on a white T-shirt. Over that he buttons on a light dress shirt, seeming to forget all about pants and shoes. He grabs his reading glasses and straps on his cellular watch.

Diplomatic Lounge - Autobot City
Two days later - in the diplomatic lounge - Spike lies in state. But as his wishes...and much to Ratchet's delight - beer is being served. Music is playing - some rock, some Stevie Wonder, and plenty of Spike's favorite band - Pearl Jam. Carly, Daniel, and an array of other humans and a few Autobots are around. Per her usual behavior, Megan, now 35 - goes off to a corner. Beer in hand. She's sort of been the outlier of this portion of the Witwicky clan, opting to devote her time to dwindling field of automotive maintenance, but on manual-driving cars. It's becoming a lost art. As "Betterman" plays, she stares of blankly, sometimes looking at her more established big brother.

Buster seems beside himself. He wanders the room, nodding in responses to condolences but not really seeming to hear them. He has an obligatory beer in his hand that he's barely touched. He smiles wanly at some of Spike's friends when they greet him, and nods to Jesse afterward when she whispers into his ear who they are.

Megan and Carly's relationship has always been complex. Coming from Carly's own background, and Megan's initial 'off the chart' testing - she was all but ordained to be in engineering school. Then, much like her dad - she fell in love with cars. And couldn't kick the bug. And eventually dropped out of college and enrolled in tech schools - and apprenticeships. Now, her mechanic abilities rival that of her late grandfather and now - late father.

Megan spots Buster - out of all the family members, he was the one who always seemed easiest to talk to - she has a liking for the misfits. She hasn't seen her uncle in about a year. She finally gets to make eye contact with Buster and gives a nod, raising a beer to his direction.

Buster spots Megan and raises his beer, giving her the first real smile he's had all day. He slips on his reading glasses to check his watch, and then slips them back off as he crosses the room to talk to his niece.

Megan grew up in Autobot City, but the moment she turned 18, she rarely came back. She nervously points to the outer corridor and quickly says to Buster "Do you want to like...slip outside for a sec?"

Buster raises his bushy white eyebrows and tilts his head slightly. "Sure," he replies. He makes an after-you gesture and prepares to follow his niece outside.

Megan gives a 'I'll be back' gesture to Daniel, who is right now comforting his mom - and holding his own grandson.

In private, Megan sighs and gives Buster a hug. She then looks and says in a slightly bitter tone. "They keep telling me he's a hero...that he stopped some sort of virus from falling into Deception hands..." She then sniffs "But Jesus, he was like 76 - are you saying they couldn't find anyone else who could have done that?!"

Buster follows Megan outdoors, raising his eyebrows with growing curiosity. Once outside in the cool mountain air, he urks in surprise as he's ambushed with a hug. "Oh, come on, Megan," he gently chides. "You know Optimus tried to get him to retire years ago. Spike wouldn't hear of it."

Megan nods absently as she looks on at the mountainous region. "Yeah..." She shakes her head. "I wish he could have seen MY kids..." She looks at Buster and adds "Whenever I get around to that stage."

Buster smiles. "Don't wait too long," he encourages her. "Jesse and I never got around to it. Luckily Daniel's taken up the slack." Not to mention how many offspring Sam has littering the countryside.

Megan looks at Buster and gives him another hug. She stifles a cry. "Don't you be going anywhere - you're all that's left of that thread."

Buster chuckles. "Don't worry -- unlike Spike, I inherited none of Dad's brave streak. I'm fine writing papers and occasionally teaching the classes I get paid to teach." He smiles, thinking his poor TAs who have to do all the heavy lifting these days since he got tenure.

Speak of the devil. Sam strolls in and sees Buster. He has a very guilty look on his face. As well as a strong, pungent odor. "Oh...heayh, cousin. Sorry 'bout Spike and all." He looks around and gestures "Do you like...know where they put the food?"

Megan rolls her eyes at Sam. "Yeah...go straight in...then walk down that loooong hallway - and take a left...a LEFT." Megan rolls her eyes again at Sam and smirks at Buster, taking another sip of beer. "I dunno, Buster - you've written some pretty bold-ass stuff. That takes guts."

Buster sighs and looks around. "Honestly, I have no idea," he tells Sam. He defers to Megan, who either knows what she's doing, or is trying to lure Sam into the roboto-zoo in hopes that he'll get eaten.

Megan clears her throat. "So...tomorrow - guess we'll be on a shuttle to Cybertron?"

"Yeah," Buster says miserably. "They contacted me for Spike's eulogy and obituary. Is it sad that I've had one written for years, and just updated it periodically? I knew this would happen. If I'm honest, I'm really surprised it hasn't happened 'til now," he sighs. At the mention of a shuttle ride, Buster shivers. "I suppose. I hate those things. Giant tin cans in space. With all the attacks, these days they're practically funeral barges already."

Megan smiles sadly and leans over the balcony in Autobot City. Just taking in the scene, not wanting to go back in and face reality just yet.

Buster falls quiet, and for now they merely enjoy the silence.