A Random Meda-Short: Usual disclaimers apply.

Main Characters: Ikki, Metabee, Spyke and Cyandog

Pairings Warning: Eh… I suppose one thing at the end might possibly be taken as Ikki/Spyke, but it's not really meant that way… strictly platonic here, sorry

Explanation: Just an idea I got after seeing something on the shelves one day…

~ * Kabuto Construction * ~

Ikki was confused and annoyed. Metabee was missing again, and for the life of him, the boy couldn't figure out why. They hadn't gotten into any fights – today, at least, though that may have been in part due to the fact that the KBT-type was gone. Their training had been going well, and Metabee hadn't voiced any major complaints about it. They'd managed to win a few intense robattles lately, so it wasn't like he had any reason to worry about their ranking slipping…

Ikki had already checked several of the KBT-type's normal sulking places, and come up with nothing. Even now, as he ran through the park to continue his fruitless search, his annoyance was starting to become panic: what if something had happened to him? What if the Rubberobos had attacked? What if his rare medal had been stolen? What if…

"Would you be careful with that?!?"

…He was nearby.

Ikki stopped short and looked around, listening intently for the sound of his medabot's voice. It had definitely come from close by. After a few seconds, he spotted a shack and walked toward it.

"Sorry…"

Ikki blinked: that was Spyke's voice. But what in the world was the weakest member of the Screws doing with Metabee?

He started to knock, then thought better of it and pressed his ear to the wall instead. He had a feeling these two were up to something, and rather than bust in, it seemed like a better idea to try and figure out just what was going on…

"For crying out loud, just try not and mess this up," Metabee muttered inside. "The only reason I came to you guys for help with this was because I knew I could trust you to keep it secret. Not like Erika, who'd blab all over the papers about it…"

"I'm happy you feel that way, Master." That was Cyandog, always the agreeable one, always eager to be of service. "I'm honored that you would choose to entrust us with such a task, aren't you, Boss?"

"Yeah, yeah… Where's that piece…?"

"Which piece?" This was accompanied by the sound of rustling paper, and several small objects clattering on the floor.

"Oh, great, now everything's spilled. Now it's going to take forever to find it…"

More rustling, and shuffling as they searched for the elusive piece. Ikki leaned in closer, straining to hear.

Snap.

A tense pause.

"…I found it," whimpered Cyandog.

"Um… I hope that wasn't important," Spyke's voice piped meekly.

"Nah… Looks like it's one of those internal parts. If it doesn't show up on the outside, then Ikki'll never notice."

"Are you sure about that, Master? It looks like now your leg won't bend quite so far…"

"I said it's fine! If it turns out not to work, maybe I can get Henry to fix it later…"

"But what about…"

Snap.

"…Aw, dammit!"

"Wow, Master, I never thought your armor would be so… cheap."

"Shut up! If you weren't such klutzes…"

"But, Metabee, you're the one that broke that piece," pointed out Spyke.

Snap.

"…And that one."

"Wow, right in half. How are we gonna fix that?"

"No problem, it's no problem. Hand me that roll of duct tape, will you…?"

"Here, catch."

Snap-crack-pop.

"Gk-gk-gk-GK-GK-GKKK!"

"…Uh-oh."

"Spyke, why the HELL did you throw that?"

"I thought you'd catch it! You're supposed to have great reflexes and all that…"

"Not when you're aiming right at my head!!"

"Don't worry, Master, maybe Ikki won't notice."

"You SNAPPED my ANTENNAE right off! I get the feeling he'll notice!"

Outside, Ikki nearly face-faulted when he heard that.

"I can fix it, I can fix it! Where's the glue again?"

A pause, filled only with sounds of shuffling and frantic movement.

"…There, it's fixed!"

"Wait a sec… You stuck it in the wrong way!"

"…Whoops. My bad."

"It's okay, Master, I'm sure anyone could make the same mistake."

"Gk-gk-gk! Easy for you to say! You're not the one whose HEAD ORNAMENT just got SUPER-GULED on UPSIDE-DOWN!"

"…Maybe Ikki won't notice that?"

"Gk-gk-gk-gk--! If he didn't notice, I'd have to kill him for neglect!"

"Let me try to fix it! Cyandog, where are the pliers?"

Snap-spring.

"Whoops, there it went again… Now where'd that go…?"

"Boss, please don't tell me you lost Master's medal. Again."

Ikki had heard more than enough. Desperately, he tugged on the door and flung it open, busting into the clubhouse in an absolute fury.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY MEDABOT?!"

Spyke's head popped up at once, and the wild-haired Screw stared at Ikki with a mixture of shock and sheepish-ness in his expression. Behind him, Cyandog recoiled at the sheer anger in the pony-tailed medafighter's dark blue eyes.

"What the hell did you do to Metabee?!" demanded Ikki, glaring.

"Geez, Ikki, lighten up!" Metabee commented, and Ikki swiveled around to spot his medabot sitting on a box near the doorway – perfectly fine and unharmed, though his green eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "Can't some guys have some alone time to work on a project?"

"A…project?" Ikki asked slowly, as his relief and confusion at seeing the KBT-type in one piece grew.

"It doesn't matter, anyway." Spyke stood up, holding something in both hands and looking downcast. "It wasn't turning out that great anyway…"

He held out his prize for the stunned Ikki to gape at: an unfinished, six-inch tall model of Metabee in rather battered condition. The antennae were crooked and upside-down, the feet were falling apart, the plastic armor wasn't snapped together perfectly…

"Metabee saw it in a store, and wanted to give you a completed version," explained Spyke, head hanging in defeat. "He wanted Cyandog and me to help him put it together, since the parts kept snapping when he tried to force them in place, but…"

He was cut off when Ikki suddenly lunged forward and hugged the taller boy, babbling in relief. Words couldn't express better than actions how wonderful it felt for Ikki to find his suspicions were completely off base.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

"Um…Ikki? I like you too, but I can't… breathe…"

Cyandog and Metabee stared at them, then looked at each other. After an awkward pause between the two medabots, the DOG-type spoke up.

"Do you think we should try the Rokusho model next…?"