C.M.D: Originally posted here on July 14, 2012
He felt the rumbling first. Dazed, Doctor Greene slowly pushed himself up in bed, wiping at his eyes as a yawn escaped him. "Trex...?," he mumbled, still trying to wake up as he set his feet on the floor. His poor mind could not understand how the mechanical guard-dinosaur could still be operational. The mayor had Trex decommissioned when he had fired him...
The light from the moon outside his window poured in, creating pale white squares along the floor, but otherwise not helping with any sort of illumination as he staggered about his bedroom. Doc Greene was almost at the door before it was swung open suddenly, a small, almost indistinguishable shape slamming into his front.
"Daddy!," his daughter Frankie yelled, as she hugged his waist tightly, "Something's trying to break down the door!"
That got his attention. Snapping awake, Doc Greene pushed his daughter behind him, walking quickly out of his bedroom and to the laboratory. "Frankie, dear," he said as he went, well aware of the young girl following quickly at his heels, "Perhaps you should stay back in your room?"
"No way!," she protested. "If you're going out there to see what's going on, then I'm coming with you. What if something were to happen and I wasn't around to help?"
The man stopped at door separating his lab from the personal quarters, giving his daughter a look. But Frankie only stared him down and sighing, Doc Greene conceded to her point. "Very well, but please Frankie, stay behind me." Waiting until she nodded, the scientist turned around and opened the door, stepping into his lab.
The rumbling, which had tapered off after Frankie had come running to his room, started up again; the whole lab shaking as something pounded against the thick, steel entry doors, which were frighteningly already bent and buckled in along its length. Frankie gave a small shriek as she grabbed her dad's shirt, the doors finally giving with an ear-splitting screech before they were ripped back and off of their hinges.
Breathing heavily, Doc Greene threw his arms out, trying to remain standing and sheltering his daughter, even as he saw a large, looming shadow step through the recently opened doorway. "W-who ever you a-are, I de-demand that you leave i-immediately," he yelled shakily, praying that his voice would not fail him, "Y-you are trespassing and m-my very good friend C-chief Burns will be a-along shortly with his a-amazing rescue team t-to a-arrest you!"
The figure walked forwards, not heeding the weak warning. Swallowing sharply, Doc Greene prepared for the worse. He was subsequently shocked when the lab's lights decided to flicker on then, filling the entire room with bright light and blinding both him and his daughter for a few moments. Forcing his eyes to open through the brightness, the scientist gasped again as he found himself staring up at the large, red rescue bot that Kade usually referred to as Heatwave.
"H-heatwave...?," Doc Greene mumbled, perplexed.
Frankie peeked out from behind her dad, staring up at the now motionless rescue bot. "Why is Kade's rescue bot here, daddy?," she asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Y-you don't think he's being ordered around, do you? 'Cause if he is, Cody's got a lot of explaining to do!"
"U-um, well...," the man hummed, trying to push his daughter back behind him. Something seemed off about this rescue bot and he didn't feel comfortable having his daughter out in plain sight of it. "I-it can't very well be w-walking around on its own without instruction b-because robots can't do that, honey. T-they would need A.I central processors a-and-"
"Shut up, both of you," the rescue bot suddenly growled, his fists curling at his side tightly. His upper lip component lifted in a snarl as he saw Doc Greene and Frankie both jump at his words, their pale faces staring up at the firetruck in fright.
Growling again in annoyance, Heatwave transformed to vehicle mode, his passenger door snapping open for the humans. "Get in," he ordered, his headlights flashing menacingly as he spoke, "Before I lose my patience and carrying you in my fists."
At the threat, Doc Greene finally shook into action, helping Frankie up into the seat first, before climbing in next himself. He was barely seated before the door slammed shut behind him, the firetruck spinning sharply and zooming out into the night.
"D-daddy...," Frankie whimpered softly, tears in her eyes as she hugged her dad's arm tight. She was so very scared right now. "W-where is h-he taking u-us?"
Doc Greene sat stiffly in his seat, watching as the street lamps flashed by too quickly for him to keep track off. "I...I don't know honey," he regretfully answered. The scientist hugged Frankie tightly to him as they suddenly veered off the main road, the two humans bouncing and sliding in their seats as Heatwave drove through the forest.
Their deathly trip over and around the underbrush came to a stop as they broke through the trees, turning into an opening in the hillside and into a pitch-black tunnel. Unable to stare into the darkness, seeing only rock walls appear suddenly in the headlight's range, Doc Greene turned his worried eyes to the dashboard, staring at it in his confusion and terror.
Just what was going on here?
Light from up ahead caught his attention; lifting his head, the scientist was surprised as they suddenly drove into a large room -a bunker. "T-this... this is Cody's place," Frankie gasped as she too looked up. "We're at the firehouse!"
Heatwave slammed to a stop, almost injuring his passengers, before he opened his doors and growled a "get out" at them. Quickly, Doc Greene scrambled out of the vehicle, grabbing Frankie just before the firetruck transformed back to bi-pedal mode, his yellow optics narrowed at the humans. "Follow," he ordered, before marching towards the other end of the room and around a tight space where two walls met.
Uncertainly, the scientist followed.
Both him and his daughter gaped in disbelief as they saw that there was a secret entrance to another, wider room around the bend; all sorts of large and unknown tech situated around the room. At the far end, there were four massive pods, open and unoccupied. Wiring from one of them though had been pulled out from the structure's interior, led across the floor and hooked up to the still bot lying on a slab to the right of the room.
The white one that Dani commanded.
They hadn't noticed that Heatwave had circled up behind them, until the mech spoke. "Fix him," he demanded, glaring as yet again the humans flinched, staring up at the rescue bot warily.
"F-fix who?," Doc Greene unwisely asked.
"Fix HIM!," Heatwave roared, pointing across the room to Blades. "Fix him right now, or I swear to Primus, I will-"
"Heatwave?," a soft voice called, as the green bot that Graham usually controlled turned into the room. "What are you -Doc Greene and Frankie?!" Boulder looked down on the humans, his orange optics dimming in worry. "Heatwave... why did you bring them here? They aren't supposed to know about us. Optimus will be upset... and so will Chief Burns."
"Shut up," the firetruck growled.
"But, they-"
"I said SHUT UP!" The red mech turned around and punched Boulder, knocking the tractor truck to the floor. Doc Greene ran with Frankie to the other side of the room, just as Heatwave grabbed Boulder and yanked him back up onto his pedes by his chest piping. "Blades won't wake up! I won't have any of my team out of commission! If this human is his only hope, then he will fix Blades- Optimus and the mission be slagged!"
Boulder cringed a little at his leader's yelling, trying to pull out of Heatwave's grip. "B-but, what if Doc Greene d-doesn't want to? Y-you can't-"
"Then I'll make him," the firetruck snarled.
"You'll do no such thing."
All attention turned to the doorway, seeing Chase standing stiffly behind the gaggle of humans he had in front of him. Chief Burns looked downright upset as he stared up at Heatwave, while his children shared mix expressions of shock and horror. "Stand down," the man ordered, his eyes narrowing.
"Stand down, Heatwave, or I will be forced into detaining you," Chase added tersely.
Everyone waited with bated breath for a moment after the police car spoke, but Heatwave only spat contemptuously, shoving Boulder to the floor and crossing the room to where Blades lay on the operation table.
"C'mon, Doc," Chief Burns softly said, walking to the scientist and gently leading both him and his daughter from the room, "Let's get you upstairs and some coffee."
Slowly, everyone started to file out of the room. Cody stayed behind, looking up to where Heatwave stood by Blades' berthside, his back turned to everyone. "Heatwave...?," the boy started, taking a small step forward.
"Cody," Dani called, popping her head back into the room. Cody stopped, looking back at his sister. As their eyes met, she only shook her head, gesturing for him to follow. "C'mon...," she said softly, "There's nothing you can do right now."
Reluctantly, Cody turned, following after his sister and back upstairs with the others.
xxXxXxx
"What's going on...?," Frankie asked, clutching the blanket that Dani had draped over her shoulders earlier. She glanced across the garage to the two remaining rescue bots, both of whom stood away from the small group of humans, before she turned her eyes back to her friend. Cody shifted nervously, unsure of what to say and feeling just as helpless.
"They're um...," the boy began softly, "They're aliens, Frankie. They come from a different planet far away."
"I'm sorry," he quickly added when the girl shot him a disbelieving and hurt look. "I couldn't tell you because they're here on an under-cover mission, to learn and then integrate into human society. Their home is gone because of a war and they had to flee from the bad guys."
Frankie scowled. "If they're supposed to be the good guys, then why did that one downstairs kidnap and then threaten to kill me and daddy?"
Cody sighed, his eyes lowering sadly. "Don't be angry with Heatwave, please Frankie? He didn't mean any of it; he's just... worried...," the blond said. "Blades got hurt really bad on the last rescue mission... H-he... he's not waking up, and Chase, Boulder and Heatwave aren't doctors... They're the last of their kind, Frankie. They have no one else to turn to."
Her mouth had opened to tell Cody off, but it clicked shut quickly as the rest of the boy's words followed. Trying to be reasonable and view things from another's perspective, like her daddy had taught her, Frankie realized with an aching heart how sad a situation the rescue bots were in. They only had each other, and now they were close to losing one of their family forever... No wonder Heatwave had come punching through their front door, demanding that her dad do something. Frankie would be absolutely devastated herself if it was her dad in Blades' place.
"I... I'm not angry with Heatwave," the girl replied softly. She blinked back her on-coming tears. "But... but I don't think daddy can help them, Cody. Dad's good for making all sorts of things and occasionally fixing them, but that's with human technology. Experimental technology, might I add. I just... I'm not too sure he'd be able to fix a living, mechanical brain..."
"Would he still try?"
Frankie gasped, turning around quickly to see that the green mech had crossed the room and was now half-crouched behind her -and all without her hearing a sound! She tried not to be frightened by Boulder, but the realization that this was some large, alien and living being and not an empty robot was an unnerving thought. Her fear though lessened immensely when she glanced upwards and spotted what looked to be like tears in the mech's optics.
"Please?," Boulder begged quietly, his servos clasped tightly before his chestplates. "I know it's a lot to ask, but Doc is very good and maybe if he just tried he might be able to do something for Blades. I'm sure he can help him!"
"We can't force someone to do something, Boulder," Cody said remorsefully. He glanced over his shoulder at the adults talking further away from them; his dad no doubt explaining to Doc Greene the situation he had already informed Frankie of. "Doc Greene has to decide himself if he wants to try... and after tonight, if he decides not to, I don't think any of us could blame him."
The girl watched as the tractor truck slowly bowed his helm, tears plopping to the floor silently. Her hand was reaching out for the mech before she even realized it. "Frankie? Cody?" Both children started at being addressed, spinning around and facing their respective parents.
Chief Burns looked down on them seriously, his arms folded behind his back, while Doc Greene nursed the mug of coffee he held in his hands. "Kids," Cody's dad started, "We've talked it through and..."
"I've decided I will try to help," Doc Greene said, taking over. He looked up at the surprised Boulder and grateful Chase. "I am... unsure. Mostly about what help I can possibly offer, more so than if this is all just a weird dream I'm having, but I will give it my best shot as well. I can understand your fear of losing a dear friend."
"Doc Greene will take a look at Blades and then will see if he's capable of doing anything," Chief Burns added. He gave each of the bots and the kids a look. "But only in the morning. It's early still and we've all been yanked suddenly from our beds... For now, I suggest we all go back to bed; rest up, try to absorb everything that's happened and tackle this later on in the day. Frankie, Doc; I'll show you to our guest rooms."
The man gestured kindly to his friend and his daughter, leading them once more, out of the garage and up into the main living area of their home. Yawning and grumbling, Kade led the pack back to their own respective rooms, Dani lagging behind sleepily and from time to time, leaning on Graham. Cody started after everyone himself, but stopped again, looking back at the rescue bots.
Chase caught his pause first and his optics grew sympathetic to the worrisome look tugging at the child's tired eyes. "Chief Burns is wise in his orders: a rest will do you good," the police car said. "Go sleep, Cody. We shall be okay in the meantime."
Unable to stop the yawn that came, the blond nodded, turning around and continuing on his way.