Chapter Three: "That's It, I've Had It With You!"

Chase stood directly behind him, coal dust all over and a bucket over his head.

Chase lifted the bucket from off of his head as he calmly spoke to Heatwave. " Blades, I assume?"

Heatwave sighed. "It would seem like it. Want me to go talk to him for you?"

"I think I will have a go this time." Chase looked to Heatwave for approval.

"Good luck. You'll need it." Heatwave told him. " Call me if you need help."

"Rest assured, I have it all under control." Chase told him, and strode off.

Half way down to the bunker, Chase heard Kade yelling at Blades, and jumped nimbly aside as said Bot rushed past him, Kade in hot pursuit.

"Oh good, Chase." Kade panted, leaning against the wall. " Blades unplugged my TV, and then stole my remote and won't give it back."

"I'll handle it." Chase assured him, and set off in pursuit of the rebellious Bot.

"Blades, stop, you are under arrest." Chase called out as Blades disappeared below into the bunker.

"Hmm, what a surprise." Chase said sarcastically as he came down a moment later. " Blades is nowhere in sight."

Chase's patience was wearing thin as he called for the youngest Bot.

Blades poked his head out of his room, apprehensively looking across at the stern police Bot. "Y-yeah?" he asked timidly.

"Blades, come here at once." Chase commanded crisply.

Blades hung his head and dragged his feet as he slowly approached the older Bot.

"Your list of offences is quite staggering, young Blades." Chase told him smartly. "I would like an explanation for at least some of them, if not all of them, starting with, why did you dump coal all over my head?"

"It was meant for Heatwave." Blades mumbled, staring fretfully at the floor as he kicked an imaginary rock, his hands clasped behind his back tensely.

"Speak up young Bot." Chase ordered sharply.

"It was meant for Heatwave." Blades began trembling.

"And what about the TV you unplugged from Kade? And the remote you stole?" Chase demanded.

"I wanted to get back with him for calling Heatwave on me." Blades spoke defensively.

"Which would never have happened if you did not try to disobey Heatwave in the first place." Chase reprimanded the now remorseful Bot in front of him.

Blades didn't respond.

" You are sentenced to staying in your room the entirety of the day." Chase announced after a few moments.

"All day?" Blades despairingly wailed.

"About face, and double time it to your room, Blades, or should I add a spanking on top of it?" Chase narrowed his eyes and Blades fled to his room and slammed the door, a sob escaping from his throat.

"Well, that was well handled. Wish he listened to me like that." Heatwave dropped down from the floor above, obviously having been eavesdropping.

"Heatwave!" Chase scolded.

"What?" Heatwave feigned innocence, and Chase shook his head, looking at his leader sternly.

"You may be my leader, but that does not make me hesitate in bringing you over my knee anymore then it did back in the old days." Chase reminded Heatwave sharply.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Heatwave held his hands up apologetically.

"Good. Now, might I suggest we get some fresh air?" Chase prodded Heatwave out of the bunker, so as to leave Blades alone in his room.

Blades sat on his bed, kicking his heels against it in frustration. "Why does it always have to be me? Why can't Heatwave or Chase or even Boulder get into trouble more often? Its always me." Blades sighed, and idly flicked a magazine from his bed.

Sighing once more, he pulled what he had hidden from Heatwave earlier from under his bed; an extra large teddy bear Dani had once secretly gotten him as a gift for being extra brave that day.

It may have been large to a mere human, but for the young Bot, it was the perfect size to snuggle at night or when he was feeling upset.

Cuddling it, Blades rocked back and forth on his bed for about five minutes, till, boredom took over once more.

Re-hiding the teddy bear, he began pacing his room, not daring even to stick his nose out for fear of receiving the threatened spanking.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps, and someone knocked on his door.

Blades eagerly threw wide the door, and stared down at a smirking Kade.

"Guess who's visit you're missing out on?" Kade taunted, a smirk on his face. "And who I am telling everything you have done to deserve being stuck in your room?" Kade began laughing evilly at the expression on Blades's face.

"Who?" Blades asked, a tremor in his voice.

"Bumblebee!" Kade turned and strode up the hall, laughing at Blades for being unable to come out, and taunting him with the fact Bumblebee would know how bad Blades had been.

Blades knew better then to beg Kade; it did no good.

Instead, he waited till Kade was gone, then tiptoed after him, determined to catch up to Bumblebee himself and explain things the way he saw it- not the other, bossy Bots.

"Bossy Bots, I like that." Blades whispered to himself as he slipped out of the firehouse and checked around.

No one.

He checked all around the firehouse, and even slipped inside to try to find Bumblebee, but came up empty.

Blades almost cried with disappointment when he realized he must have missed out on his best friend's visit, and that Bumblebee now knew what a bad Bot he had been the past two days.

Suddenly, Blades heard none other then Heatwave and Kade coming, and the frightened Bot looked around frantically for a hiding place.

Finding one, he hid, cowering fearfully, as the two went past.

Blades could not hear all of what they were saying, but he could tell it was a civil conversation for once, and he stiffened as a part of Kade's sentence drifted to his ears.

"What'd he say when you told him?"

Kade sounded curious, and Blades instantly supposed Heatwave, not Kade, had told on him.

Blades did not hear what Heatwave said; he was too overrun with feeling hurt by Heatwave.

Tears welling up in his eyes, he hugged his knees to his chest as he tried not to cry.

Once the pair had gone, Blades stood up, upset and angry.

Clenching his fists, Blades declared to the air: " I'll show them, both of them!" and stormed off to get the last of his coal supply.

This time both Heatwave and Kade were going to be blackened- and this time Blades was going to be sure he was not caught.

Having no idea that Blades was anywhere but in his room, Kade and Heatwave had went down to the gym to work out together.

"Sure you don't want to try beating me in sit-ups again?" Heatwave remarked to Kade, chuckling as Kade shook his head vehemently.

"Nope, one day of nearly killing myself was enough for me. I'm not challenging an autobot to anything anymore." Kade declared, and Heatwave gently poked him, knocking him flat.

"Hey!" Kade spluttered, as Heatwave held him down with one finger, laughing smugly.

"I believe you have won the wrestling match, Heatwave. You can let him up now." Chase announced as he passed by with the Chief on their way to get the chief some coffee.

"Yeah, you should know better then to challenge Heatwave of all Bots to a wrestling match." Chief Charlie chuckled, enjoying teasing his oldest son, who spoke up indignantly.

"I didn't! He just pushed me over!" Kade's protest fell on deaf ears as the police pair walked on by, the chief winking at Heatwave, who smiled back.

"Plead for mercy and I'll let you up." Heatwave told Kade.

"Never!" Kade hollered, and struggled mightily, but he went nowhere.

"Alright, alright." Kade said with a sigh. "Please let me up, oh great and mighty Bot. Please I beg you, Please!"

"I guess. Not exactly what I had in mind, but…" Heatwave lifted his hand, and Kade stretched unnecessarily, glaring at his Bot.

"Hmm, might have given my pinky finger a workout." Heatwave remarked, flexing his hand.

"Cut it out, and if anyone else hears how I had to beg you, I'm going to make you sorry." Kade threatened.

Heatwave snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Oh believe me, I would." Kade resumed walking, and Heatwave followed.

"So tell me, how exactly would you accomplish making me sorry" Heatwave asked in amusement.

"Not telling." Kade snapped back.

"Getting all uppity now, are we? Tell you what, if you can beat me in a swimming match tomorrow, I'll do anything you say for the whole day." Heatwave challenged.

"Anything?!" Kade looked up in surprise at the huge Bot.

Heatwave nodded. "Anything. And without a fuss."

Kade grinned. " You're on!"

Entering the gym together, both human and autobot prepared for their workout.

Blades, meanwhile, was dodging people and the other two Bots as he tried to make his way to the gym with his bucket of coal dust.

His nerves were failing him by the time he finally reached the gym, and his heart sank as he realized Heatwave and Kade had been there a while already.

Peering down at them, he watched as, eyes closed, they counted out the sit-ups.

"28, 29." Kade counted.

Blades leapt down.

"30, 31" Heatwave continued.

Blades lifted the bucket.

"32, AHHH!" Blades had dumped the bucket, but as he tried to turn and run, powerful hands gripped his waist, and Heatwave yanked him over his head to land in front of him.

"And where do you think you are going?" Heatwave's head was covered by the bucket, and it made him sound ten times more menacing then normal.

Blades began squirming, and he screamed hysterically as Heatwave tightened his grip. "Put me down! Let me go! Nooooo!"

Kade was coughing and chocking as he sat up, covered in dust, and stared at Heatwave and Blades as the blinded Bot pinned the smaller one to the floor, Blades writhing under him.

Hearing the ruckus, everyone else had rushed down there, and were brought up short as Heatwave placed one knee on Blades's chest, lifted one hand, and removed the bucket.

Heatwave's eyes were glowing red, and Boulder and Chase both gasped in horror.

They had seen this once before, when Lighting had been killed.

Heatwave had gone berserk then, there was no reason he would not do the same now.

"Heat-Heatwave?" Kade spoke, alarm in his voice as he stared up at the fearsome Bot next to him.

"That's it, Blades, I've had it with you." Heatwave growled, his voice like thunder.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Blades screamed as Heatwave slammed his free fist into the young Bot's chest, and lifted it to strike again.

"Heatwave!" Kade made as if to try and stop the livid Bot, and Cody darted forward, yelling, "Heatwave, no!"

Boulder brought his hand down on Cody, trapping him beneath it like a mouse, while Chase lunged forward and snatched Kade, moments before Heatwave's hand crashed down where Kade had just been standing a microsecond before.

"Boulder, Boulder let me out!" Cody begged, and Boulder scooped him up, holding him to eye level.

"Heatwave is dangerous right now, no one can go near him, or even try to stop him." Boulder explained sadly, winching as Blades's tortured cries filled the large room.

"Tell me about it, he would have killed me there!" Kade was visibly shaken, and Chief Charlie held him close.

Everyone watched as Heatwave slapped Blades's face repeatedly, then began pummeling his chest and stomach once more.

"Can't we do something?" Cody pleaded, tears blurring his vision as Blades's cries became weaker and weaker.

"No." Chase said simply.

"Maybe you can't, but I can." A deep, rumbling voice caused everyone, not including Heatwave, to look up.

A collected gasp rose from the team. "Optimus?"

"Optimus, you have to stop him!" Cody cried pointing at Heatwave, who had clawed Blades onto his back and was smacking at the back of his head and shoulders, kneeling on the prone form of the Bot, who let out rasping cries of pain.

"You are right, Cody Burns, and I will stop him."

No one intervened as Optimus Prime stepped across to Heatwave, and stood over him.

"Heatwave." The great Bot spoke gently, but firmly, and Heatwave jerked his head up, teeth bared and a grotesque expression on his face.

Dani gasped and hid her face in her Dad's chest, and even Kade whimpered.

Slowly, the intense red left Heatwave's eyes, and they returned to their normal color.

"Oh no, Optimus." Everyone faintly could hear Heatwave whisper to himself, and his hands fell limp.

"Rise up, and look at me." Optimus sternly commanded, and Heatwave rose to his feet, not flinching, but unable to meet the great leader's eyes.

Optimus stared at Heatwave for a moment before speaking.

"You have a strong temper, but a stronger will. You could have held back. Why did you not do so?"

Heatwave's gaze lifted to meet Optimus's, as he answered. " Sir, I was not thinking, and I just reacted to my anger with Blades. I should have kept control over myself, and, I'm sorry." Heatwave hung his head, and Optimus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We will speak more of this later, but right now, Blades needs you." Heatwave turned to look at his special Bot, curled on the floor, covering his head with both hands, sobs racking his body.

Heatwave's expression turned to one of intense sorrow, and he was at Blades's side in a flash, gently placing a hand on the younger's shuddering back.

Blades shrieked when he felt Heatwave's hand caress his back, and he began begging. " Please, please don't hurt me! Go away, just go, don't hurt me!"

Heatwave faltered, and turned to look at Optimus, and the leader nodded towards Blades, signaling for the fire Bot to stay with him.

Heatwave turned back to his charge, and kept stroking him for a moment, before turning him over gently and taking both Blades's hands in his own.

"Blades." No one had ever heard Heatwave sound so gentle. "Blades it's me, Heatwave. Toughen up, little guy, you're not hurt that bad."

Kade opened his mouth to speak, a look of shock and anger on his face but his dad shushed him.

Heatwave lifted Blades into his arms, cradling him like a baby. "Come on, you need to rest." Heatwave murmured, and carried Blades to his room, not looking at anyone else as he passed.

Heatwave tenderly tucked the whimpering Bot into his bed, watching almost lovingly as Blades lay pillowed on his bed.

"Get some shut-eye Blades, I'll apologize in the morning." Heatwave whispered, and rose to go.

"Heatwave?" Heatwave looked down at the injured Bot, who had opened his eyes. " I know that wasn't really you who hurt me, and I'm sorry I made you so mad. It was my fault, really, and I'm going to ask Chase for a spanking tomorrow morning."

Heatwave knelt down by his bed once more. "Thanks, Blades, but I could have chosen to not react in anger, it is my wrong, not yours." Heatwave looked thoughtful. " Well, it kinda is, but I don't want you punished anymore for this. If you truly forgive me, don't ask for a spanking, okay?"

Blades looked relived. " Okay. And, and Heatwave?" he asked timidly as his leader rose to go once more.

"Yeah?" Heatwave looked down at him.

"Under my bed, there is a teddy bear Dani gave me. Could I have it please?" the poor Bot covered his face with embarrassment as he spoke, and it as all Heatwave could do not to smile at that.

"Sure." Heatwave knelt down and retrieved it for his friend, placing it next to him under the warm covers.

Smiling softly at Blades as the younger yawned, Heatwave walked to the door and turned off the light, noticing the nightlight in the corner as he did so and flicking it on.

"Heatwave?"

"Yes Blades?"

"Why did you tell Bumblebee on me? That's why I did what I did." Blades sounded betrayed, but Heatwave was confused.

"Bumblebee? When did Bumblebee visit today?" he asked, bewildered.

"You mean, Bumblebee wasn't here today, and you did not tell him how I have been acting?" Blades started to sit up, but cried out and huddled back down again, clutching his teddy bear.

"No. Who told you that?" Heatwave's eyes narrowed, but he snapped out of it seeing how he was scaring Blades again.

"K-K-Kade." Blades stammered, his eyes wide.

Heatwave strode over and caressed Blades's jaw as the youngest Bot cowered. " Kade was lying. Bumblebee never came, and I would never do that anyway." Heatwave reassured Blades, who relaxed once more, his eyes closing.

Kade will pay for this. Heatwave silently vowed, careful not to show any anger to the sleepy Bot.

Removing his hand, Heatwave tiptoed to the door.

"Night Heatwave." He heard Blades mumble tiredly.

"Sleep well, Blades." he said warmly, and carefully closed the door behind him.

Heatwave walked down the hall, knowing he would have to be punished for his actions, but not caring really.

He felt really bad at how he let his temper run away with him like that, and would willingly take whatever punishment Optimus had planned for him.

That, and he had a visit to pay to Kade he was looking forward to for once, and for all the wrong reasons.

Pausing before he entered the gym, Heatwave took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.