Author's note:

Just a little heads up: I tried to keep Spyke and Cyandog's personalities as close to the Medabots anime canon as possible. Something I decided headcanon-wise, however, was that Spyke's last name was Ivan (pronounced "i-vin," and based on his Japanese name, Iwanoi [because I felt like using Iwanoi as his last name would be an uncomfortable read for people who were used to hearing that for his first name.] Plus we've got characters like Coach Mountain and Mr. Richards in the dub, so I figured Ivan wasn't a horrible idea.)

Anyway, happy reading!

-Torque

1

What Scares You Most

The night stilled like a pool of water over the Ivan household. The streets outside were empty, and the rooms inside remained silent and undisturbed in the dark. All was quiet. All was still…

Until a gunshot cut clear through the air.

Spyke held his chest, feeling something had stopped. He started to slump, eyes wide.

"Spyke!" Cyandog was at his side, taking his arm. "Spyke, I'm-I didn't mean to-I didn't plan this, I promise!" He said, every word a shade more desperate than the last. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't think it would end quite like this. Could you ever forgive me? Spyke? Spyke, no, please, you have to answer, please answer!" With trembling hands, Cyandog slowly turned his pale face so he could look him in those dark, panicked eyes. "Oh, it's all my fault," he wavered, "I did this to you!" He hugged one arm around Spyke's neck, swinging his other to snatch the handheld phone from the table behind them, shaking—shaking and scared for what would follow, but wanting to keep him close, whatever happened.

"Cyan-d-dog," Spyke rasped in a small, fading voice.

"What is it, Spyke?" He asked, already dialing 119. "I'll do anything! I will!"

He felt a finger tap twice on his back. Cyandog hung his head, phone pressed to his ear. "I see," he said over the dial tone, the words weighted with grief. "I understand, you… You want to bury my medal with your corpse."

"What? No—look."

Cyandog's visored gaze followed Spyke's shaking, pointing hand, to the illuminated television screen on the wall. A collie was lying still on its side, but it sprang up in an instant and bolted across a farmland field.

They gasped in unison. Spyke's eyes veered to the ceiling, relief washing over his face.

"So the dog DOES live!" Cyandog howled for joy, hung up the phone (slam-dunking the receiver on the rug, to boot) and jumped up and down on the patterned pillows and blankets they had spread all over the couch (let alone most of the living room). "Miracles are real! All is right in the world!" Then he stopped, and turned to Spyke. "They really had me going there, and you, too!" With a little more terror in his voice, he added in an undertone, "My scanners read that you had started flatlining!"

"Ohh, so that's what that was," Spyke gripped his buttoned pajama shirt where it covered his heart. "Yikes... They should'a put a warning on the disk or something. Let's double-check next time you hit RentBox, 'kay?"

"Agreed!" Cyandog echoed. "Agreed. I…" He sat down again, wringing his hands. "I'm sorry, Spyke. Had I known—"

"Hey, it's okay, bud!" He threw one blanketed arm around his Medabot. "No biggie, I'm fine! Even if something really bad had happened, you'd still be a first responder, right?"

"I would never forgive myself if I wasn't." Cyandog gave a whirring sigh, but started to relax again, his head resting on Spyke's shoulder. Even more assuring than the on-screen family welcoming their dog home were his scanners and cardiographs indicating regulated stress levels, for Medafighter and Medabot alike.

Author's Note:

Spyke and Cyandog take movie night VERY seriously.

Funnily enough, I almost didn't write in the part of Cyandog calling 911 (or Japan's equivalent, 119), but it was only before I posted this that I realized what a mistake that would be. Though I wrote this entire thing on a whim so I'm sure there are other plot holes here, oops. Also, yes, I think Medabots can be either programmed with (or have pre-programmed awareness of) certain human medical needs. More on that later, but anyway! Hopefully I'll have more ideas for one-shots in coming weeks!

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

- Torque