Disclaimer: I do not own Medabots, nor any of the characters from the original manga. I own myself and all of my characters, that including both Foxfires, Akura and Dr. Yukienata. Horumarin-sama owns Medabots. I own the rights to this fanfic.
Author's Note: /Is soooo winging this/ I'm up at about 12:30 in the middle of the night trying to wrap this up because I'll be swamped with studying for exams on the weekend. So sorry if this comes in late. I actually wanted to just end it off where the ---- is but it came out too short and had to continue. I just love my cliffhangers :P
"What do you MEAN she's gone?!"
The loud, tenor voice of Metabee's audio transmission reverbrated against the walls of the Tenryou kitchen. His three companions, Ikki, Rokusho and Foxy(especially her) winced in pain as the customary ringing of the ears/audio receivers followed.
"You stupid KBT! Not so loud!" Foxy hissed in a whisper, clutching her ears. Metabee folded his arms while still keeping a strong glare at Rokusho.
"I don't care HOW loud I am, how could you lose Foxfire at our own HOUSE?"
"I did not LOSE her." Rokusho defended, though still ashamed for letting her be kidnapped. He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't bothered to notice someone taking her away right behind him! "Though I do feel responsible. I can't believe I let this happen." He wanted to yell at himself though was sure to be mauled by Foxy if doing so. "How stupid of me."
"Slaggin' right it was!" Metabee's voice was forced to come in loud whispered rants. "What were you doing here so late ANYWAY?" He asked, eyeing him suspisciously. Rokusho's optics grew wide when realizing what Metabee was so suspiscious about.
"Certainly not THAT."
"Well what then?"
"If you must know, I was talking with Foxfire." Rokusho knew that his explanation wasn't the best to use, considering that day's earlier teasings were still fresh in his mind. Metabee rolled his optics.
"Man you're so lame with femmes, I actually believe that!"
"Be. Quiet." Foxy gritted out.
"Just stay calm you guys." Ikki coaxed, gesturing with his hands to lower their voices. "Remember, my mom and dad are still asleep."
"Why didn't you wake them up?" Rokusho asked. He recalled Ikki making SURE their door was closed before coming downstairs to talk with him and the others.
"My dad was hesitant just taking in Metabee and wasn't exactly FOND of having Foxfire too." Ikki explained, remembering how hard it had been to get Metabee to start actually SLEEPING in the house. "We just brought Foxy in today so I don't think he'd let either her or Foxfire stay if he found I lost her."
"He did seem pretty bent outta shape when he saw Foxy." Metabee commented. Ikki nodded.
"Perhaps you shouldn't have brought that femme here in the first place then." Rokusho suggested, actually trying to seem innocent while doing so.
"Just what's THAT supposed to mean?"
"ANYWAYS," Ikki raised his voice lightly to catch their attention. "How are we going to find Foxfire? It's the dead of night and I don't see any clues." The KWG threw a scorn Foxy's way.
"Hmph, how do we know that Dark Fox didn't simply do away with her?"
"Stop talking like I'm not here." Foxy gave a deadpan look. Ikki took a step in front of her to take her from Rokusho's gaze.
"Foxy wouldn't do that. She's got no reason to."
"Who said she needed one?"
"I wouldn't just up and go 'do away with her' for no reason Beetle-butt." Foxy shot back, dipping in between Ikki's legs to face the KWG.
"And I'm supposed to believe you? The one who was trying to ki--"
"Okay, as much as I like a good Robattle in a house," Metabee cut in, walking in the middle of the two to seperate them. "We have to find FOXFIRE. Not fight."
"Wooah, Metabee the voice of reason." Ikki mused, glad to have it settled. The KBT raised an optic at him.
"Just what's THAT supposed to mean?"
"Uuh... hey Foxy you've got a nose, couldn't you just find Foxfire by smelling?" Ikki looked down at her, trying to distract Metabee's attetnion. The DFX type's optics brightened at the idea.
"Of course! Aki I'm such a dolt!" She flicked the side of her head in punishment for not thinking of it before. And no sooner had she accepted the idea then crouching down on her haunches, preparing her 'nose' to sift through the scents of the kitchen floor. She leaned her head down and sniffed this way and that with her ears twitching.
'If I didn't know any better,' Ikki thought, giving Foxy a funny look. 'I'd swear she actually WAS a fox.'
"Could you actually find her this way?" Metabee asked, tagging along behind Foxy as she walked on all fours.
"Maybe, but there's a lot of smells to go through--- Did someone spill sweet and sour sauce here?" She asked suddenly, rubbing her scent receptors absently. Ikki sweatdropped with a small laugh.
"Henh, yeah, Salty jumped at my legs and I lost my balance."
"So you got anything girl?" Metabee asked, playfully teasing her for acting like a dog. Foxy threw a dark look his way before sniffing along a path only she could follow to the door.
"I've got Foxfire's scent... and there's another one here. One that doesn't belong."
"Doesn't belong?"
"Mmm, it's not familiar with this house's scent."
Everyone's interest was peeked, even Rokusho couldn't help but peek over to find out the anonymous scent. They followed her out of the house into the backyard where she continued to inhale the smells all around her.
But the fun was soon came to an end when Foxy stopped in her tracks at the edge of the backyard where it met pavement and sidewalk. Ikki opened the gate, only to greet the road behind their backyard that turned into other driveways and passages in the neighborhood.
"Why'd you stop?" Metabee asked, looking around outside. Foxy rubbed her 'nose' again and shook her head.
"I lost the scent. After this it's all exhaust andcar fumes."
"So they got in a car." Rokusho deduced, placing a hand to his chin. Foxy nodded in agreement.
"Mm, but the scent in the house that doesn't belong is probably who took her."
"What did they smell like?" Ikki came up to her and watched as she got to her feet, her optics narrowed.
"Rubber."
-----
Foxfire's optics fluttered on, the pink lights illuminating the dark space she inhabited. Despite her optic processors trying to focus, she couldn't see slag of where she was.
She turned on her side, sleep still pulling at her muscle alloy. She fought against her body's temptation to unconsciousness and sat up. "Mneh?" Foxfire mumbled, blinking lazily.
Foxfire sat alone in a large dark place. She couldn't make out any defining shapes in her surroundings. It was pitch black everything. Sound familiar? She certainly thought so.
'What's going on?' She asked the dark Foxfire inside her... but no answer came. The silence was what was really getting to her. A silence that was deafening. Where was the voice of her counterpart? Where was the cocky attitude of the other Foxfire?
'Oh... wait.' That was right. Foxy was gone. Foxfire was all alone in this strange place... unless she was dreaming again.
Unfortunately, her tail swept across the surface she had passed out on and found nothing but concrete. Everything to her senses was real, there was no mistaking it. The pain in her nightmares that Foxy had caused were real but the sense of where she had been at the times were muffled.
Although Foxfire sorely wish it was, this was no nightmare. This was reality.
"Hello?" Her transmission echoed. Her hearing was also definite, not muffled like it had felt in the nightmares. This was all real. Foxfire wanted to say something else, just to get rid of the silence that felt so haunting. But something else cut it out.
Static from a speaker cut out the silence. Then a voice.
"Ah... you're awake." It was male, definitely coming from some kind of P.A. system of sorts. But no matter what distortion, Foxfire knew that voice.
"Where am I?!" She asked, jumping to her feet. A laugh came from the P.A., it was cold...but then it grew maniacal. Yes, she definitely knew that laugh from somewhere. "Answer me!"
"Ooh, no where special." The voice turned sly. "Just a... test room you could say."
The lights flashed on.