Hi folks! Sorry this one took a bit longer, school's been lowkey kicking my ass...but better late than never, right? Shout out to my sibling, SorryInAdvance, who threw a peanut at me while I was editing this and only stopped because I threatened not to post this tonight (I prob would've posted it anyway but don't tell them that lol). For real, though, if you like Marvel they have a cool story that's gonna be really good if you feel like checking it out.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who's reviewed and favorited/followed so far - you guys are awesome! :)
Chapter 12:
Bug Off
"I'm convinced my cockroaches have military training. I set off a roach bomb – they diffused it."
-Jay London
Billy, Jack, Miko, and Raf trailed after the three bots as they cautiously entered a large room a little way down the hall from the main hangar. A massive spherical metal object sat in the middle of the floor, water dripping into a large puddle all around it.
As Ratchet slowed to a stop in front of the thing, cuing some sort of flashlight to get a better look, Billy tapped lightly on Bumblebee's calf.
"Bee?" she questioned softly, not wanting to disrupt the medic's concentration. Her guardian immediately turned his gaze to her, eyes narrowing slightly in concern.
"What's wrong, kiddo?" he replied quickly.
"Nothing's wrong, I just…You're really ok, right?" She finally asked, stumbling over her words a little. Bee's expression quickly changed from one of concern to reassurance.
"Really, really. It'll take more than one little Scraplet to take me down, especially with you and Raf protecting me," he smiled, nodding to the various tools the teens had taken before leaving the main hangar. Raf looked up at the mention of his name, returning Bee's smile with a small one of his own.
"It's a trap," Ratchet suddenly stated, still completely focused on the giant metal container. "A scraplet trap."
"Uh…an empty Scraplet trap," Bulkhead added shakily.
"Most likely ejected into space eons ago," Ratchet continued, ignoring Bulkhead's comment. "Only to wind up in the Arctic, where the temperature kept them in stasis."
"Until we brought the thaw," Jack realized, stepping closer to the container.
"And now they're wide awake and ready for brunch," Miko added darkly.
"So…how many do you think were in there?" Raf questioned, hefting his crowbar onto his shoulder.
Billy did the same with her monkey wrench, tightening her grip on the heavy tool and casting her gaze around the room warily. No way was she letting another one of those things get a shot at Bumblebee.
"Thousands," Ratchet scowled, transforming his flashlight back into his hand. "And the power malfunctions and ground bridge damage are sure signs that their infestation is well underway."
"We'd better let Optimus know what's going on, then. Right?" Bee asked the older bot.
"That would seem to be the logical next course of action, yes," Ratchet sighed, already moving back towards the hallway. "Come on."
The rest of the group followed the orange and white bot, occasionally pausing to check the hallway behind them. But the base was quiet. Eerily so, in Billy's opinion.
As soon as they returned to the main hangar, Ratchet began tapping away at the computer console, bringing up Optimus and Arcee's comm frequencies and cursing at the few glitches that came up as he worked.
"Ratchet to Optimus, do you read me? We have a situation" he demanded, still tapping away at various functions in an attempt to get through to the away team. Suddenly, the computer cut out completely, all former readings being replaced by green static. Ratchet huffed in frustration, turning away from the console to address the other occupants of the room. "The Scraplets have gotten into the comm link system. If we don't eradicate these creatures immediately, they will reduce the entire base to a scrapheap."
"Well, I say we bug out of here and let 'em keep it!" Bulkhead exclaimed from his position next to the balcony where Billy and the other teens were standing.
"I like that plan," Bee nodded enthusiastically.
"Evacuation is not an option," Ratchet insisted. "If we don't get the ground bridge back online, and soon, Optimus and Arcee will perish."
"They…will?" Jack questioned, shoulders drooping in fear.
"The datapacks," Billy realized, turning to address Ratchet. "Optimus and Arcee have already been out there for over two hours. How much longer until they end up like the scraplets, or worse?"
Ratchet sighed tiredly, glancing at a panel on his arm before responding. "Not long. Optimus will probably last another two hours, Arcee even less. But neither will remain conscious for much longer. Their systems will begin to shut down to conserve energy, most likely within the hour, and after that they could sustain permanent damage. We must get the ground bridge operational again if we are to have any hope of finding them before then."
The grim news made Jack go even paler, if possible, and drove Miko to stalk up to her guardian in frustration.
"Bulkhead! You never run," she argued, putting her hands on her hips and glaring up at her guardian.
"Miko, you haven't seen a swarm of these things devour a bot. I have," Bulkhead countered just as passionately. "They pick you apart from the inside out, going for the small, juicy bits first, fuse by fuse, circuit by circuit, till there's nothing left. And I mean nothing. Not even your optics."
Billy felt some of the blood drain from her face at the detailed description, immediately turning to Bumblebee to reassure herself that he was still there.
Geez, it sounds like these things won't stop until there's not a scrap of metal left in this entire base, she thought, exchanging nervous glances with the rest of the teens.
"You've got to let us help," Jack suddenly stepped forward, nervousness slowly giving way to steely determination.
"We're not made of metal!" Raf agreed.
"Yeah!" Miko exclaimed. "The scraplets can't hurt us!"
"Like you said, Bee," Billy stepped forward to stand beside Jack. "We'll be your protectors."
"Hmm," Ratchet leaned closer to observe the four humans on the balcony. "Typically, I find your fleshiness to be your least engaging quality. But it would appear to provide an advantage under these extremes."
Well, that was a little harsh, Billy raised an eyebrow at his bluntness.
"Gee, thanks," she replied sarcastically, before brightening as a thought struck her. "Hey, so we're like the invasive species, coming in to wipe out an organism who hasn't evolved to defend against us. Cool!"
Ratchet just rolled his eyes, but Billy thought Bumblebee may have looked at least a little thoughtful at her comparison. Maybe.
"Ok…" Jack trailed, bringing the conversation back on track. "So, we pair off. Every bot gets at least one human."
"Me and Jack can watch your back while you repair the ground bridge, Ratchet," Billy spoke up, casting a quick glance to Raf and Bumblebee beside her.
"We'll be ok," Raf assured her quietly, somehow having picked up on her unspoken question.
"Great!" Miko piped up, skipping over to her guardian excitedly. "That means we get to go on a bug hunt."
Bulkhead and Bumblebee exchanged nervous glances but didn't outwardly protest to the plan.
"Well, no time to waste, off you go," Ratchet said, gesturing for them to get going. But before they could obey he seemed to reconsider his words, continuing after a short pause in a slightly quieter tone. "And…be careful. You are to scout the base for any critical damage and report back to me, nothing more. The comm system should work fine between the three of us, so if you run into any trouble you will call for backup immediately. Understood?"
The medic tore his gaze away from the floor panels to level Bulkhead and Bee with a firm glare, as if daring them to argue. Luckily, the two seemed to have little qualms about nodding hastily in agreement. Billy got the feeling that scraplets would have quickly become the least of their problems if they hadn't.
Ratchet, apparently satisfied with their answer, turned back to the mess of wires and computer chips with a small huff.
"Good luck, guys," Billy called weakly from across the room. Raf gave her a brief wave before turning and starting down the hall, a jumpy Bee following closely behind.
"So…I'll keep watch by the ground bridge, you cover the hallway?" Jack asked as he and Billy started down the balcony stairs.
"Sounds good to me," Billy shrugged.
"Just make sure to stay out of the way," Ratchet commented from the ground bridge control panel. "I am attempting to perform delicate work."
Billy sighed, walking past the grumpy bot to stand vigil in front of the hallway. Maybe she should have gone with Bee and Raf.
O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O
"So…how's it going over there?" Jack asked hesitantly.
It had been nearly 20 minutes and Ratchet had yet to make much progress, if his never-ending stream of frustrated muttering was anything to go by.
"I've repaired the damaged conductors, and re-routed the central conduits, but the ground bridge still won't receive power," Ratchet huffed from his kneeling position in front of one of the open panels on the floor. He had his back to them, but Billy could clearly hear the bot's frustration in his voice as he studied the faulty components, looking for a way to bring the device back online. "I'm not cut out for this scrap. Wheeljack was the engineer, not me."
The last bit was said more quietly than the rest, which probably meant that Ratchet hadn't exactly meant for Billy and Jack to hear it. The two humans exchanged confused looks at the unfamiliar name but didn't voice their question out loud. Billy couldn't speak for Jack, but she definitely heard the undertones of…grief? Wistfulness? Whatever it was, she could tell that asking Ratchet about this 'Wheeljack' guy would not be wise. She was curious, but she wasn't Miko.
A scuttling clinking noise suddenly echoed around the room, drawing the two teens' attention away from the still grumbling medic. Billy's heart sank to her stomach as she slowly casted her gaze upwards, where the noises seemed to be coming from. Nothing.
As Billy slowly turned on the spot, scouring the walls for any sign of the creatures, she suddenly detected a hint of movement from one of the ventilation shafts near the ceiling.
"Uh, Jack?" she muttered, eyes fixed on the very large group of scraplets gathered on the wall behind the boy. "Twelve o'clock."
The other teen spun around, shoulders tensing when he caught sight of the swarm. The creatures opened their mouths, readying their sharp teeth for their next meal before launching themselves off the wall to fly towards the only bot in the room, startling the teens and finally getting Ratchet's attention.
"Whoa!" Jack cried, taking a few steps backwards and raising his lead pipe in preparation. "They fly? You never said they could fly!"
The boy flinched as the swarm suddenly dove closer to the ground, but they passed him by without even slowing down. They were completely focused on Ratchet.
"Oh, shit," Billy exclaimed as Ratchet took a few steps back, eyes filled with dread, only to trip over the open panel and fall back.
She sprinted over to the bot, wrench raised above her head, and began beating away every scraplet she could reach.
"Ratchet!" Jack yelled, joining Billy's efforts only a moment later.
"Get. Off. Him!" Billy accentuated each word with a powerful swing of the wrench, but even with Jack's help, she could tell there were too many of them for them to fight off with brute force alone. Luckily, Ratchet seemed to still have his wits about him, even as he was, quite literally, being eaten alive.
"Jack! The fire extinguisher!" he called, swiping at the hordes of metal creatures attacking him.
Jack hurried to obey, not hesitating to drop his metal pipe in favor of the bright red canister that sat at the bottom of the stairs. Billy continued to beat away at all the scraplets she could reach while Jack sprayed them with the powdery chemical.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, all the creatures that had been attached to Ratchet fell to the ground. The remainder of the swarm, however, simply flew closer to the ceiling to escape the sudden drop in temperature.
"Ratchet, get the patch kit," Bulkhead called as he and Bee limped into the room, both sporting various injuries from dealing with the scraplets. "We're leaking energon like…Whoa!"
The two bots stopped short when they caught sight of the large swarm of metallic bugs hovering near the ceiling. At the sight of the two new Cybertronians, the swarm immediately dipped into a steep dive, heading straight for them. Billy and the other teens took a defensive stance between the creatures and the bots, preparing for another round of squish-the-metal-bug.
O*O*O*O*O*O*O
The fighting seemed to last hours. Jack was running frantically between the three bots, spraying them briefly with the fire extinguisher before moving on to the next one. Billy ended up staying with Ratchet, leaving Raf and Miko to cover Bee and Bulkhead. Every time it seemed like they were making some progress, another few bugs would fly in and start chomping away, and they'd have to start all over again.
But eventually, the number of bugs on the ground started to surpass the amount still attached to the bots. It was just as well, too. Billy's arms were starting to ache from swinging the heavy wrench around so much, and there was a stinging, throbbing pain emanating from her right calf from when she tripped over a frozen bug and fell into a small pile of them on the floor.
"Almost…there, Ratchet," she panted, knocking a scraplet off his shoulder and crushing it before it could get back up again. After destroying only two more bugs from the bot, Billy deemed him infestation-free. For now, at least.
She and the other teens then started walking slowly amongst the piles of scraplets, pounding any they found intact to make sure they stayed down while the bots dragged themselves to sit against the balcony wall.
Billy's leg was still throbbing in pain, and she could feel a small trickle of blood seeping down to her ankle, but she refused to stop until all the scraplets had been destroyed and the ground bridge was back online.
"Did we get them all?" Jack's voice drew her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the issue at hand. A distant echo of something drilling arose from the hallway, immediately answering that question. Billy looked around the room nervously, shifting her weight off her injured leg.
"Hardly," Ratchet sighed. "These were just scouts."
"Those were their scouts?" Bee groaned. "Primus."
"So, the…rest of them know we're in here?" Bulkhead stuttered, looking nervously between Bee and Ratchet.
"And if we allow ourselves to become their next meal, Optimus and Arcee will never make it home," Ratchet nodded gravely. "We must get the ground bridge operational."
"Then we can use it to send the scraplets anywhere on Earth," Raf commented.
"Why not back to the Arctic?" Jack agreed, hefting the fire extinguisher to further his point. "We already know they don't do cold."
"Sweet! One-stop shopping," Miko smirked.
Billy rolled her eyes but didn't comment on the other girl's quip. She had her hands full with watching out for scraplets and keeping the pain in her leg at bay long enough to get the others back. Damn, this really stings.
"Given the body mass of the scraplets, sub-zero temperature should freeze them on contact," Ratchet confirmed thoughtfully before turning his attention back to the main issue. "So, think, Ratchet, think. If the ground bridge is still down…there must be a breach in the energon fuel line!"
"But the fuel line's all the way down the hall!" Bee exclaimed, collapsing back onto the ground tiredly.
"If we weren't breaching," Bulkhead added. "One of us could get over there and fix it."
"Where do we find it?" Jack asked determinedly, drawing the attention of the three bots.
"And how do we fix it?" Raf stepped forwards, shoulders squared in resolve. Billy smiled, proud of the boy's show of confidence.
"Are you sure?" Ratchet asked, surprised. Miko nodded enthusiastically.
"We got this, doc bot. We've got our 'fleshiness' to protect us, remember?"
Ratchet snorted but conceded to her point and began laying out the details for how to repair the breach. Jack gathered up the materials they would need while Billy, Raf, and Miko kept hold of their makeshift weapons, just in case.
"Invasive species, to the rescue," Billy muttered to herself as the four teens began their trek to the fuel line. She stuck to the rear of the group, making sure to tread as lightly as possible on her injured leg.
As the group turned the corner near the end of the hallway, where the fuel line ran along the side, they were greeted by a very large swarm of scraplets, marching through the halls with their mouths slightly agape.
"Remember," Jack said softly as the four began tiptoeing around the little creatures so as not to step on them accidentally. "We're ok. We're not made of metal."
Raf nodded slowly, inching past each metallic bug carefully.
"There it is," Billy announced, pointing out a spot in the fuel line that was leaking a blue liquid from a small crack in the structure.
"Good catch, Billy," Jack praised. "Come on."
The four of them rushed to the breach, Jack and Miko kneeling before it while Raf and Billy stood with tools at the ready in case one of the scraplets got any ideas.
"We have to make this quick, guys," Billy said, addressing Jack over her shoulder. "But be careful not to touch the energon, remember?"
"Got it," Jack nodded. Miko gave the other girl a quick thumbs-up before picking up the scrap metal Ratchet had given them and holding it over the breach.
"I'll hold this, you weld," she ordered, nodding to the toolbox Jack had set down next to him. The teen, decked out in a pair of heavy leather gloves and a face shield, flicked the welder on in response and got right to work.
A few scraplets tried moving closer to the group to see what was going on, but Billy and Raf managed to nudge them along with their makeshift weapons without triggering much of a response from the others.
It only took Miko and Jack a few minutes to get the metal welded to the breach, but as they were putting the finishing touches on the repair, the scraplets suddenly grew more alert. They abandoned their aimless march through the corridors all at once, disappearing into the ceiling vents in seconds.
"They're getting ready to feed!" Raf cried, looking to the older teens frantically.
"Let's go," Billy ordered, hefting her wrench onto her shoulder and setting off towards the hangar.
The others obeyed without question, abandoning the small tool kit Ratchet had given them and following her lead. It wasn't long before Billy fell to the back of the group again, not even bothering to hide her limp as she raced down the long hallway after the other three.
"Ratchet!" Jack yelled as soon as he reached the hangar, Raf, Miko, and Billy hot on his heels. "All systems go!"
"Fire it up!" Miko paraphrased, snatching up the crowbar she left on the ground earlier.
Ratchet struggled to his feet at that, grabbing hold of the control lever to start the device.
"Ground bridge…activated," he said weakly, falling back to the ground with a crash as soon as the lever was in place.
Billy could have cried in relief at seeing the swirling green of the ground bridge burst to life easily, as if nothing had been wrong at all. But she held off on the celebrations for a little while longer; the piece of the ceiling falling only a few yards in front of where she and the others were standing provided a solid reminder that the crisis wasn't over yet.
"Bait, huh?" Bulkhead muttered, looking between the swarm of scraplets and Ratchet and Bee, who had yet to sit back up. He struggled to his feet with a soft grunt before turning to face the large swarm. "Hey! Ready for the main course?"
The scraplets opened their freaky metal mouths in response, diving towards Bulkhead at a frightening speed.
"Come and get it!" he growled, before taking off in a lilted run towards the ground bridge.
Bee started to sit up to watch him go, but Ratchet managed to push the yellow scout down just in time for the scraplets to rush past the two of them, completely focused on the more mobile target.
Billy slumped in relief as the last scraplet disappeared into the ground bridge, limping over to stand next to Raf, whose focus had shifted to Bumblebee. Jack dropped his lead pipe, running a hand through his hair and letting out a quick sigh before turning to address Ratchet.
"So…what now?" he asked hesitantly.