The first chapter of Ratchet's Revenge, a new series focusing on everybody's favorite Cybertronian medic. In this chapter, Miko gets her just desserts.
Ratchet's Revenge I: Nanotechnology stinks!
"BULKHEEEAAAAAD!" screamed Miko, bounding out of the old school building. She didn't really mind the other students around her giving her a funny stare. A line of cars of all different shapes and sizes surrounded the front of the school, accompanied by parents of all different shapes and sizes whom were seeking their children, most of them sill draped in their work uniform. Yet the only thing the young Japanese exchange student was panning the area for was a large green all-terrain vehicle which was not amongst them. She had seen Jack take off with Arcee a few minutes back, and Raf had just left with Bumblebee. Looking around, once again, Miko then spotted a familiar bright red-orange ambulance. Ratchet. Hearing a voice from inside the van call her over, Miko obliged. Suddenly, a gruff man dressed in a sky blue scrub with a silver stethoscope hanging around his thick neck stepped out of the flawless van, looking every bit like a stereotypical doctor and also every bit like an anthropomorphic version of the good medic Miko knew so well. Miko bounded towards him cheerfully and walked to the awaiting ambulance with the man. "So, ACE, how was your day? And where's Buller?"
Ratchet cooly responded to Miko's odd query. "I helped Bulk...Buller fix his ser...hand and his leg after it was involved in another...incident. He'll be taking some time off."
"Ah." Miko nodded, understanding yet laughing in her head at Ratchet's terrible code language. Ratchet felt Miko shaking in laughter, and growled threateningly, instantly stopping her shaking. Ratchet flung open the driver's side door and stepped in, falling lightly into his soft fur-covered seat, sighing. Miko sat beside him in the passenger seat. Suddenly, Ratchet turned off his solid holoform, the human form flickering and fading a bit, returning to the intangible holoform mode. Miko, even though having seen it many times, was still surprised at how he did it. He had once mentioned the use of nanobots in the holoforms an then dropped the subject, but Miko, being Miko, was naturally super curious at this phenomenon, especially now as she was attending a nanotechnology class at school. Miko was struggling to wrap her head around the topic, and had intentions to ask the bots for a little help, or in her case, pester the bots so badly that they would just do the work for her, which meant she could have another work-free night, her favorite type of night. Poking a hand through Ratchet's intangible abdomen, Miko opened her mouth and began asking Ratchet something, hoping to she'd a little light on the subject so foreign and mysterious to her.
"Your holoform. Did you use nano..."
"Nanobots. Yes. As well as having Energon flowing through our veins, our species also has special nanobots in our body, which in Layman's terms is akin to the human equivalelent of stem cells, being able to turn themselves into any element, chemical mixture and physical shape. Most of my interior, being the fur seats, their cotton stuffing, the dash, my holoform, and the glass which makes up the windows and windshield of my vehicle form is made from these special 'cells' of my body. When I am in my bipedal, or 'true' form, the nanobots which once made up the van interior and windshield inside my body reconfigure an change into repair nanites and strengthen my armour, readying me for battle. For my ambulance form I scan and collect available data to create the interior." Ratchet recited, as Miko ran her hand through the soft fur of the seat, wondering what information Ratchet must have gone through to recreate something so organic. All of a sudden, a brilliant idea hit Miko like a bolt. Opening her mouth to ask something else, Miko quickly spat out some words, all while Ratchet mentally gave a sigh, wondering why he couldn't have just told Bee to pick up Miko as well. He had had a rough day, and the chatty mouth of Miko was the last thing he wanted.
"So can you even reconfigure your nanobots into something like...a nice Fizzy Appleberry drink?" asked Miko, who was beginning to get thirsty and was hoping for a free handout from Ratchet as part of her 'brilliant idea'.
"Miko, I am not wasting my nanobots so you can poison yourself with excess amounts of sugar, bicarbonate, toxic trace metals, artificial colours and preservatives with that so-called 'drink'!" Miko pouted. "But to answer your question, yes, I can do that with my nanobots. And I am not going to indulge you with the pleasure of witnessing me do such an action!" yelled Ratchet, getting increasingly annoyed at the young teen's relentless and insatiable curiosity, and her 'convenience-store mouth' as Jack had affectionately called it; it was open 24/7. Miko, getting extraordinarily excited and oblivious of Ratchet's state, assailed Ratchet with another quickly-spoken question.
"So you can make ANY liquid, solid or gas with the nanobots? That is so cool! I wish I had that power. I could make myself a nice Fizzy Appleberry! Or even better, a shiny new RuffRiffs guitar! Custom painted! Ratchet, imagine the possibilities! But seriously, I could go for a nice Appleberry right now..."
Ratchet was near breaking point. The very voice of Miko could drive his sanity to oblivion, something which even the great warlord Megatron could not achieve.
"If you must know, Miko, my nanobots are not unlimited! I can only create a given amount at any given time!" yelled Ratchet, trying to hopefully shut Miko up. However, this was Miko he was dealing with here. It would take a lot more to shut her up. Much more. It must really stink being Bulkhead, thought Ratchet, having to...suddenly, a lightning bolt of an idea hit him. It was evil and throughly messy, but it'd do the trick of keeping Miko quiet. Hopefully. If it could shut Starscream up, then it could shut Miko up. Again, hopefully. After a quiet minute, Ratchet spoke up.
"Miko."
"Yes, Ratchet?"
"If I show you a demonstration of my nanobot's abilities, will you promise to keep quiet during the rest of the trip?"
Miko perked up instantly. "Yes! Oh, thank you, Ratchet! You are the best! So, a can of Appleberry, please?!"
Ratchet's hologram smiled. "That is for me to decide." This was part of his plan. In the next moment, a slender tube reached out to Miko from the dash. In her excitement, Miko jumped as the tube neared her face, the odd appendage suddenly sprouting sharp claws.
"What is that?!"
"Medical needle. An appendage only fitted to medics such as me. In tough times, I can use this to transfer Energon and repair nanites from myself to another bot if they are in trouble. I will also give you a demonstration of my nanobot's capabilities using this."
"Cool!" said Miko, now completely comfortable with the devious appendage. "So what are you going to use? Appleberry? Water? Cola? Come on, Ratchet. Show me al...Aaaaahhh!" Miko's rant was cut short as a spray of liquid hit her in the face, dampening her hair and her clothes. A moment later, the liquid assault stopped, leaving Miko dripping with the mystery liquid. "What the hell was that, Ratch...What's that smell?" Miko then paused as she smelled something pungent and choking. Miko started coughing at the horrendous odor which was quickly filling the cabin of Ratchet. Miko clawed at the window, begging Ratchet to open it.
"Open the window, *cough* Ratchet! By the way, what *hack* did you spray me with?!"
"Butyl mercaptain. Otherwise known as...skunk juice." stated Ratchet.
"RATCHET!" screamed Miko. "This is not funny. *cough* I am NEVER going to talk to you...you...again..." Miko fell down, unconscious from holding her breath too long. Ratchet finally decided to open the windows, airing out the cabin, which was now being doused with a fragrant disinfectant from the needle. However, Miko and her clothes would require a better wash. Ratchet laughed to himself, reflecting on his slight victory over the young girl, now slumped against the passenger side door of him.
"How foolish was I beforehand, saying I shouldn't have chauffeured Miko. Maybe I should chauffeur her more..."
Review please! I love your feedback!