Stardust: Not many people have reviewed my story. I hope later on more people will, but until then… Here's a new chapter!
Scrapheap
A few days after Zero's sudden growth spurge…
"I'm bored," Zero moaned as she sat on the couch in the Darby living room. Today she was wearing a white ruffled top with light blue lace, an aqua colored blue jean skirt, light blue socks, and white Mary Janes. "You sound like Miko," Jack muttered softly. "I'm not that bad!" The small girl reported. Jack dropped the toast he was holding and stared at the small girl. "How did you hear that?" He asked with a shocked look on his face. "I don't know," Zero said with a shrug. "I just did."
Before Jack could ask anything else the sound of an engine filled the room. "Arcee!" Zero called out happily as she ran to the garage. Can't she at least wait for me? Jack wondered as he grabbed he fallen toast and finished it quickly before joining the two femmes. "You better hurry Jack," Arcee said as he entered the garage; Jack looked up to see Zero already on her. "You'll be late for school." "It's Saturday Arcee," the raven haired said. "What does that mean?" Zero asked as she grabbed her helmet. The helmet was dark blue with white angel wings on both sides; there was no bottom under the chin area; and the blue tinted visor only covered her eyes and nose. She had seen it one day when they rode to base. Feeling it would keep her safe; Jack had used his last pay check to buy it for her. "It means no school or work," Jack explained with a grin. "Ratchet isn't going to like that," Arcee said smiling even though they couldn't see it.
A Few Minutes Later…
"Shouldn't they be in school?" Ratchet asked when the kids came in. "It's Saturday Doc Bot," Miko said. "That means we get to spend the whole day with you." As Miko walked off Zero, Raf, and Jack gave Ratchet a sympathetic look before following the exchange student up to the human area of the base. Ratchet gave a soft grumble before returning to his work. "Why doesn't Ratchet like us at base?" Zero asked once they were out of his hearing range. "He likes us," Jack assured her. "He just likes peace and quiet more." "But we're quiet," she said. The three turned to Miko, who was plugging in her guitar. "Most of us," Jack correct her. "I can hear you," Miko said getting her guitar in front of her. "I know," Jack said.
"What are Dad and Arcee doing?" Zero asked before Miko could start playing. Zero had taken up calling Optimis 'dad' after Jack had explained that in a way Optimis was her father. "Huh?" Miko said putting down her guitar and running over to where the small girl is. Optimis and Arcee where standing next to Ratchet as het waved something over their Autobot marks. "Where are you guys going?" Miko asked. "Recon mission," Arcee answered. "Can I come?" Jack asked. "It's in the Artic," the femme added. "Never mind," the raven haired teen said.
"I've never seen snow before," Raf said. "Me either," Zero said. "Can we come along, please?" "I'm afraid the conditions are to sever ever for us," Optimis said gesturing to himself and Arcee. "But if you two behave we'll bring you back a snow ball," Arcee said seeing the two's faces sadden. "Okay!" Raf and Zero said happily. "Wanna explore the base, Raf?" Zero asked. "Sure," the smallest human said as they ran off. "I'll make sure they don't get into trouble," Jack said as he grabbed the cord to Miko's guitar.
"Hey!" The transfer student called out as she tried to grab the cord from Jack. "This is for some peace and quiet for a while," Jack said as he through the cord up to the rafters. "Yes!" He cheered when he succeeded. "Not fair," Miko muttered as she plopped herself in front of the TV. "Peace and quiet at the base since Miko came here," Ratchet said shocked. "Thank the all spark." This earned a shared laugh with Arcee and Jack.
In Another Part of the Base…
"The blizzard has made it impossible to see," Raf said with his arms in front of his eyes faking to walk through a harsh blizzard with Zero at his side doing the same thing. "The brave and super smart adventurers Raf and Zero are facing sub-zero temperatures as the frost nips at their unshielded skin," Zero says. "As night creeps closer it-"
Suddenly Zero stopped what she was doing and looked at an upcoming corner. "What's wrong?" Raf asked. He was impressed at her imagination, so he was worried by her sudden stop. "Didn't you hear that?" She asked ominously. "No," the small boy said shacking. The two slowly crept to the corner; when suddenly…
"Agh!" Both screamed out grabbing at one another. When nothing happened, they opened their eyes and looked down. At their feet was a small black creature with small legs, an overly large head, and big purple eyes staring at them. The three stared quietly at each other until Zero asked, "What do you think it is Raf?" Never once taking her eyes off the little creature. "I have no idea," Raf said picking up a random bolt on the floor. "Wanna play catch?"
The small creature leaped up happily and ran around in a circle. Zero let loose a small giggle as she stood next to Raf who quickly through the bolt into the air. "Wait!" Raf cried out as the creature leaped up and began to eat the blot. "You'll choke!" The creature quickly turned around completely fine after eating the bolt. "Or not," Zero said confused. She knew Raf was smart, so to see him wrong about something was quite a shock. "Let's go show the others!" Zero cried out suddenly. Raf and the creature nodded (or tried to in the creature's case) and quickly followed the raven haired girl back to the others.
Neither children noticing that a large chunk of the metal wall just ahead of them was gone…
Back with the others…
"Do you thing you'll have it fixed soon?" Jack asked Ratchet as the doc looked at some ruined circuitry. A little while ago Ratchet had discovered that the ground bridge was damage and quickly checked to see if Optimis and Arcee where alright. "I'm not sure," the red and white bot confessed. "Whatever caused this damaged was very effective."
"Hey guys!" Zero and Raf's voices called out from near the human area. "Look what we found!" "We're busy," Ratchet grumble out before looking at what the two found and let out a fear filled scream. Bulkhead and Bumble Bee looked at the creature to and quickly brought out their weapons and aimed for it with their optics widened in fear.
"Whoa!" Jack called out as he and Miko ran in between the two. "Whoa! Whoa! What's wrong with you guys?!" "Scraplet!" Bulkhead cried out in fear. "Scraplet!" "What's a Scraplet?" Raf asked when he and Zero jumped up from behind Miko and Jack. "The most dangerous vermin on all of Cybertron," Ratchet said in an ominous tone. The four looked at each other in confusion. "This?" Jack asked. "You're GIANT robots," Miko said gesturing at them. "Scrapy here is puny." "You have no idea what that puny thing can do!?" Bulkhead told her. "Aw," Raf said gently petting the sleeping scraplet. "He wouldn't hurt a thing."
Just then the scraplet woke up, taking one look at the bots it open its mouth and charged at the bots; who immediately started to fire at it. After dodging the blast, the scraplet took a large leap into the air and dug it's teeth into Bumble Bee's armour. "Bee!" Raf shouted as he ran up to his Guardian. "No," Zero said with tears at the corners of her eyes. "No… No… NO!"
With that final scream Zero became surrounded in a blaze of blue flames. As the flames touched her body, her clothes changed into armour. Most of her body became covered in a black body suit. Her feet gained three toed silver clawed midnight blue boots with a large blood red crystal on the lower half of her legs that went up to the middle of her up thigh. Spiked midnight blue chest and shoulder armour with golden highlights and four red crystals like the ones on her boots on the center formed a cross started above her stomach and ended at her shoulders. A pair of midnight blue arm guards tipped with two silver claws each and a small red crystal in the center of the back of her hand went back halfway up the upper part of arms. Her long raven black haired was pulled into a helmet designed like a midnight blue metal wolf head with golden highlights around the bottom, top spikes, and ears and a large blood red crystal in the center where the wolf's forehead would be and a black face guard covering her mouth and nose. Finally a long midnight blue tail tipped with a double layered devil style point with golden highlights at the ends of the spikes.
As the flames faded the room fell quiet at girl's sudden change. Even the scraplet stopped eating Bumble Bee to look at her. The temperature in the room dropped to seventy below as her eyes opened reviling that they have changed from their once warm hazel color had become a cold red that even made Megatron's optics seem as kind and gentle as Optimis'. Within the blink of an eye the scraplet was flung off of Bumble Bee and destroyed on a far wall. Zero stood on Bee's knee with a dash of pride mixed in the fear in the air.
The moment of peace was ended when as sudden screech came from where the scraplet was just thrown. The group turned to see a scraplet only twenty times larger than one they just saw, but with some slight differences. While this scraplet still had the overly large head and glowing purple optics, it had large pincers on both sides of its head as well as energon dripping from its mouth like drool. Releasing a loud snarl it lunged itself at the bots. Another girly scream came from Bulkhead as he and Ratchet helped Bumble Bee up. Zero leaped off of the scout and placed herself between the scraplet and the bots.
"Zero!" Jack shouted as he ran over to grab the girl. Giving a growl of her own, Zero charged at the scraplet knocking it off it's legs and created a larger dent in the wall. She leaped back and landed next to Jack with a cocky look in her eyes. A look that quickly vanished when the scraplet rose from the hit and charged at Zero. Another growl rose from Zero's throat, as her face guard removed itself she sucked in a large amount of air; but blow out fire! The blazing scarlet flames licked at the scraplet's body scorch marks on it and the floor and wall surrounding it.
"Oh burn!" Miko shouted happily. "Really Miko," Jack said as he, Raf, Ratchet, Bulkhead, and Bumble Bee looked at Zero with pure shock on their faces' and face plates'. "What?" the exchange student said fringing innocence. "It's kind of awesome." "Kind of?" Bulkhead asked. "More like totally awesome!" "Do not encourage her Bulkhead," Ratchet said. "Zero's flames are not working." "He's right," Raf said. "She'll have to freeze it to do any real damage."
Freeze, the last part of Zero's mind that wasn't totally lost to the transformation thought. Freeze! Stopping her fire breath Zero took another deep breath and frost came out; turning the scraplet, wall, and floor into a frozen wasteland! Once everything was frozen Zero slumped to the floor. "Zero!" Jack cried out as he ran to her side. "Zero! Are you okay?!" "I'll be better if you stop yelling," the small girl said with a groan. "She's fine," Miko said. "What happened?" Zero asked confused by why everyone was gathering around her.
"That's what we should be asking you," Ratchet informed her. "Why?" She asked tilting her head to the side. "Look," Miko said holding up a small mirror. Zero stayed quiet in Jack's arms before turning the frozen scraplet and asking, "Did I do that?" "Yup," Miko said. "How?" The wolf armoured girl asked. "Well, first you slammed it against the wall;" Miko explained. "Then you blew fire on it; and finally you froze it with your frost breath." "Me?" Zero asked pointing a finger at herself. "Cool." "Really?" Jack asked. Great, he thought. Zero is turning into Miko. "Yeah!" Zero said happily. "I'm like a superhero!" "That a girl!" Miko said proudly.
"Enough," Ratchet said. "It was amazing that Zero was able to take down a warrior class scraplet…" "A what class?" Miko asked. "A warrior class," Ratchet said. "Normally a scraplet is only about the size of the first scraplet that Raf and Zero brought in which are called workers. However, when a hive is formed they can grow to the size of the scraplet we just saw becoming warrior class." "You said hive before," Raf said. "Is a scraplet hive like a bee hive here on Earth?" "Yes," the medic said. "Very much like the insect hives on this planet." "Hold it," Zero said holding up her hand. "If there are workers and warriors, where's the…"
"Sssssssssssssrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeccccccccccccccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhh!"
Human and bot alike winced at the sound; while Zero fell to the floor in pain. "What was that?" Miko asked as Jack pick up Zero. "That," Ratchet said optics filled with fear. "Was the queen."
A little while later…
"Is this really a good idea?" Raf asked in a quivering voice. "No," Jack said. "But we need to destroy the queen or Optimis and Arcee will never come back from the Artic." "I'll do my best," Zero said still in her wolf armour. "We know," Miko said. "But why did Ratchet give us fire extinguishers?" "Maybe so Zero won't have to do all the work?" Raf suggested. "Then why this?" Zero asked holding up the bomb Bulkhead gave her. "To help you destroy the queen faster?" Jack suggested.
"But Zero can totally kick it ass without it," Miko said. "We all know that," Jack said. "But we also don't know Zero's limits." "Or if she has limits at all," Raf said. "I'll do my best," Zero said again. "We-" Miko started but was cut off when they reached the room where the scraplet trap was.
The walls where covered with worker class scraplets as they chewed at the metal walls, and the scraplet trap itself. But, what really got their attention was what was in the center of it all. Surround by ten warrior class scraplets stood the Queen. She was almost as tall as Arcee, and stretched 30 feet in length. Her massively oversized head and two glowing purple eyes looked like the other scraplets; but there were multiple smaller optics dotted around eyes, each moving of their own accord. Along her massive maw, were two mandibles, each tipped in a large serrated drill. Her body had thirty large metal legs holding her up, and large purple blotches covered her back, each one spewing with hundreds of scraplets in a burst of bright blue Energon.
"That's gross," Raf said hiding behind Jack's leg. "Good thing we're here so Zero can destroy it," Miko said pulling out her phone. "I know I'm going get some good pictures." The rest of the group gave her a 'really' look. "Go straight for the Queen," Jack told Zero. "Once she dies, all of them will die." "Then dad and Arcee can come back from the Artic?" She asked with big, innocent eyes; which looked kind of funny with her in the wolf armour. "Yeah," the ebon haired teen said trying not to laugh at her. "Yay!" She cheered. "Time to kill the Queen!" Without another word she ran off into the scraplet swarm.
"Okay," Jack said. "That was creepy by how happy she was saying she had to kill the Queen." "Maybe she was happy that once she does kill the Queen Optimis and Arcee will be okay?" Raf suggested. A loud crash caught their attention. Turning forward they saw the warriors attacking Zero, and failing…
Zero leaped up and slammed her fist on a warrior's head, crushing it in the process. Three of them tried biting her and broke all their teeth in the process, sadly not destroying them. Leaping up in the air she sucked in a large amount of air and shot out a large amount of fire, melting eight of the warriors and a lot of the workers. Believing she destroyed all the warriors she lowered her guard…
Only to be eaten by the last warrior. "No!" The kids shouted. Raf and Miko had to hold Jack back from running in there. The remaining warrior had a smug look on its face as it walked up to his Queen. It made a good ten feet before its head exploded. From the smoking remains of the scraplet stood Zero, proud and small. A low growl came from the Queen causing the kids to turn to her wide eyed.
It. Was. PISSED!
The Queen seemed to glare at Zero with pure hatred in its optics. From behind her came a large black cloud; or what looked like a cloud. It was really a group of worker class scraplets flying around in a group towards Zero. "They can fly!" Jack cried out. "Ratchet never said they could fly!" "This can't be good," Raf said. "Look out Zero!" Miko shouted.
Zero leaped up into the air and took in a large amount of air and blow out frost breath all over the scraplets. Zero's frost breath covered all the workers, walls, ceiling, and floor. The wolf armour covered girl fell to the ground with such force that the scraplets fell to floor and shattered.
Leaving only the Queen standing tall.
"Oh come on!" Miko snapped. "Why couldn't she freeze and die like the others?!" Raf and Jack just stood there is shock by how powerful Zero really is.
Zero stood in a fighting position with her right fist forward. Turning her fist palm up Zero gave the Queen a "bring it" signal. "She didn't?" Jack asked face palming. The queen gave out a snarl as she charged at the small girl. "She did," Miko said grinning from ear to ear.
The wolf armoured girl stood her ground as the Queen tried to bowl over her. Zero grabbed one of the Queen's mandibles and flung her at the wall. With the bomb in hand Zero leaped over the Queen and pulled the pin. "Open wide!" She shouted as she threw it into the Queen's mouth!
Zero landed gracefully on the floor; only to be knocked off her feet from the blow back.
The last thing she heard was Jack shouting out, "Zero!"
A little while later…
"Jackson," Ratchet said. "Biometry status report." "Levels are rising," Jack said giving him a thumb up. "Raphael check Bumblebee's elector pulse monitor. Miko, keep an eye on Bulkhead's interphase patch." "He's steady," Raf said. "Looking good!" Miko called out happily. Once the queen destroyed Ratchet was able to fix the ground bridge, but while he, Bulkhead, and Bee where fixing it they were attacked by a last scouting party of scraplets. With Zero still asleep on the couch in the human area, Raf open the ground bridge for Optimus and Arcee. "You should get some rest to odd friend," Optimis said from his spot next to the old medic. "You have been through much today." "I didn't do it alone," Ratchet said looking at the children. "We were just lucky that this infestation happen on a Saturday." "Our human friends may be small," Optimus said. "But they are strong."
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Miko screeched.
A loud boom came from the human area of the base, and Zero came crashing in front of Miko completely decked out in her wolf armour. "Scraplet!?" She asked glaring around the room. "Spider!" Miko shrieked ignoring the fact that Zero was in front of her. "Is it on me?! Oh! Ah!" The Asian girl jumped around as she ran away from the non-existent spider. "Did she just scream like a little girl?" Bulkhead asked. "And what's a spider?" Zero asked, but was ignored. "More importantly," Arcee said looking at the armour covered girl. "What happened to Zero?"
The wold armoured girl tilted her head to the side as she look at the blue and pink femme. "You didn't know?" She asked innocently. It would have been cute if she wasn't in highly threatening outfit. "No," Optimus said looking at Ratchet, Bulk, Bee, Jack, and Raf for answers. "Do any of you care to tell us what happened while we were gone?"
"I got super powers!" Zero said happily. "She's been spending too much time with Miko," Raf told Jack. Ignoring the laughs from the others, Zero leaped up to Optimus' shoulder. "When me and Raf found the scraplet we brought to the others," Zero said. "Why?" Arcee asked raising an optic ridge. "We didn't know what it was," Raf explained. "And when it attack Bee, Zero became surround by blue fire and when it vanished she gained the armour." "I wanted to spot the scraplet from hurting Bumblebee," Zero said. "Then I felt something inside me. Like a fire inside me. It spread within me and when I couldn't take the pain anymore it just burst out!" "Are you okay?" Optimus asked. "Yup," Zero said. "It went away when I was swallowed by this moving darkness." "Darkness?" Ratchet asked. "Uh huh," Zero said. "I became lost in the darkness until fire surround me. I was really scared, but then I heard Raf's voice saying freeze. Then it started to snow. It was beautiful; all those small white crystals of ice falling gently down to the ground. They got rid of the fire!"
"So it was Raf who saved you in the end?" Jack thought aloud. "Yup!" Zero said happily as she jumped off Optimus' shoulder and landed next to Raf. "Thanks Raf," she said giving the small boy a kiss on the cheek. Raf blushed at her action and quickly looked away from the smaller girl. "Why did you do that?" Jack asked saving Raf from embarrassment. "Miko said that's what a girl should do when thanking someone," Zero said innocently. Miko, the group thought annoyed.
"Zero," Jack said getting her attention. "That's only if the person who is getting the kiss is someone the kisser has special feelings for." "What kind of special feelings?" Zero asked. "Uh," came Jack's brilliant response. "Love," Miko said bluntly walking back to them. "You could've told me that there was no spider." "What's a spider?" Zero asked again; this time she got an answer. "A small eight legged creepy soulless creature with beady little eyes," Miko said. "Eep," Zero squeaked as she ran behind Jack's legs. "I don't like spiders." "Miko," Jack said as he guided her back to Optimus. "Stop scaring Zero." "I'm just telling her as it is," Miko said simply.
A sudden burst of light came from the crystal on her forehead. Jack was forced to let go and back away from her as Zero became bathed in the light. Once the light died down, Zero stood in her normal clothes. "Zero," Optimus and Jack said the latter running to her side. "Are you okay?" "That was freaky to watch," Miko said while the others just nodded. "I feel sick," Zero said wobbling for bit. "Try to hold it in," Jack said as he gently picked her up and walked as fast and as smoothly as he could up to the human area. Jack barely made it as Zero puked on the floor. "This is going to be fun," Miko said from her spot next to Bulkhead.
Stardust: And I'm done! I finally was able to finish this in between classes and writing 'Angel's in TOKYO!?'
Miko (rolls eyes): Dude, just not write for that story and focus on us.
Jack (gives her a 'really' look): Miko, she can't. There are others waiting for her to update that fic; just like there are those waiting for ours.
Miko (pouting): Fine.
Raf: Please Review! Stardust647 is now doing the same thing as what she does in 'Angel's in TOKYO!?' For those who don't know what that is, it's "if you want a new chapter for this story, then at least three people must review or PM her."
