I only own Mari!
Ratchet
MEDICAL BAY
Graham walks in ten minutes later with Doc Greene and Boulder.
"Graham said you needed our assistance."
I sigh before nodding. "With the Cybertronium. It's got me stumped."
"She almost had a meltdown."
I roll my eyes. "Thanks, Graham." I sigh before turning back to the metal. "Supposedly, we're supposed to be able to give it instruction, and Joyce didn't have to do anything to get it to change into something, but I can't get it to do anything." I sigh. "Somehow, they were able to make cons using this, but I have no idea how."
"Let's see what we can do."
I watch Doc Greene turn to the metal before I turn to Boulder. "You guys settling in okay?"
"As well as we can. Heatwave spent an hour calming Blades down after the alarm last night."
I shrug. "That's Blades. I had other things to worry about…" I rub the back of my neck nervously. "But now that that's over… I am kind of scared that there's kaiju out there." I take a deep breath and sigh. "But I can handle it. I've worked here storing Cybertronium for four years now, and we can handle this. I'll talk to Blades after we're done here."
"You can go now."
I look up to Doc Greene. "But what about—"
"I need to test a few things before we can get started, and I've been helping Graham since we started this project."
I shrug. "All right. Call me when you're ready to start piecing him together." I sigh. "And don't let Graham tire himself out."
SUITES, AUTOBOT'S ROOM
I knock on the door outside the Autobot's room in my Cybertronian form.
"I'll get it!" The door opens to reveal Blades. "Starlight? Weren't you helping—"
"Doc's got some things to look over. Boulder told me the alarm scared you." He gives me a nervous look. "Come on."
"Where are you going?"
"The bays. We're just going for a walk."
BAYS
"You used to be scared of the kaiju too?"
I sigh softly. "Still am, Blades. The alarms scared me on my first night here in Hong Kong." I sigh. "It freaked me out this morning too, but I had something else to worry about, and it kept my mind off kaiju and on Cybertronian medicine."
"Boulder told us what you were doing. How's Graham?"
"Better, now. Ratchet's frame still had his medical kit hidden, and I was able to find some meds to help inside." I sigh softly. "I wish Gips and Striker weren't in school right now. I'm a little nervous about the Kaiju Blue."
"You aren't alone. I'm worried about Cody and Frankie."
I sigh softly. "The jaeger teens have special abilities even in this form, Blades. Crimson still has a third arm, for example, and they all have techno-organic forms. They'll keep Cody and Frankie safe, and the school has a lockdown program for the kids and teachers to keep them safe."
Blades sighs. "Heatwave still thinks I'm a coward."
"If he saw me two weeks ago, he'd think so too." I sigh heavily. "I need that distraction so I can keep focused on what's important."
"But you want to fight."
I shrug. "It's something to keep me focused on the goal—keep my eyes on the prize, if you know what I mean."
Blades nods. "So you'll be all right?"
"If I don't chase the RABIT."
"RABIT?"
"Random Access Brain Impulse Triggers. Memories, Blades. Raleigh explained it to me while I was helping him with Gips after the particularly traumatizing attack. They can chase the RABIT now too, and she almost re-lived Yancy's death just like Raleigh did once." I rub the back of my neck. "I tend to be easily traumatized, and I've had some pretty hard things in my past."
"What do you mean?"
I sigh softly. "I lost both my mother and my grandparents. I've been verbally abused, and had my life threatened on more than one occasion. I got fired for having Asperger's. I've watched Optimus mortally wounded and seen Ratchet dead. I watched Que die in Chicago." I look down to a chain around my neck. "But I proved my mettle, Blades. I'm a Green Lantern and the Star Healer." I lean against the wall, being careful of my doorwings. "I have the determination to overcome my fears. I know you have the same. I know you have the courage to face your fears. I know how brave you really are."
"But Heatwave doesn't."
"'Wave's opinion doesn't matter, Blades. You have what it takes, in here." I tap his chest plating. "You just have to look within yourself and find it. You have the courage you needed to face Humungado and Ravenous, and you had the courage to go to that meteor even though you knew it had deactivated the others. You did that, Blades. You have what it takes. You've proved your mettle to me, and Dani and I both believe in you." I sigh. "But, it'd be a good idea for you to stay away from the kaiju—even if I feel the need to face them. I don't need a category three stomping you into the earth like Humungado did."
"I don't want it either."
I nod. "If we need help, there's dinobots close by. Optimus set them free after we stopped the—wait a minute."
"What?"
MEDICAL BAY
I run to the medical bay. "Doc!"
"What?"
I sigh before continuing calmer. "A couple of KSI's bots were chomped by dinobots. I don't know if that could change anything, but maybe something they did, or what KSI powered their cons with, damaged the Cybertronium?"
Blades runs up behind me. "Stopped the what?"
"Oh, sorry. Stopped KSI's con clones."
"Maybe there was something in the fluids that affected the Cybertronium."
I nod. "That's what I was thinking." I look around. "Where's Graham?"
"He's sleeping in the back room. He said something about a promise to you…"
I nod. "Good. He needs to rest more than he needs to be helping you guys with this."
"And Blades?"
I nod. "He was still a little freaked, but all I had to do was tell him of my first experience with the kaiju alerts."
"You—"
"Only one time, and I freaked out—locked myself in my room and cowered in a corner until I heard Raleigh's voice. Gipsy had gotten caught in a memory and gotten hurt, and he needed my help. So I went to her, and we got a lot of things straightened out. Even the jaegers are scared of something, Boulder. I've handled my fears since then, and though I still get scared, I know that everything's going to be okay. That's what I told Blades. Everything's gonna be all right in the end. We'll beat this just like we did everything back on Griffin Rock. We're all tougher than we look."
"Even so, Graham seems to be struggling."
I nod. "I've noticed, Doc. We need Ratchet. This is quickly getting out of hand. I can't believe I trained for nine years with Ratchet and learned so little about carrying bots…" I sigh softly. "Then again, we only had one bot carrying at the time, and he was…killed…in front of me." I sigh. "It was a sad day for all Autobots. The future of your race, gone in an instant." I sigh. "I was willing to be the carrier, but I know how important it is to have me unencumbered when it comes to things like this." I sigh softly. "I wasn't even able to adopt a child for fear I'd leave them parentless when they needed me most."
"We would have watched them for you."
I smile. "Thanks, Blades, but I don't think an Autobot would have an easy time raising a human child." I sigh softly. "If I got killed out there… He or she would be left alone with you."
"Dani would help me. I'm sure Cody would too."
"Probably." I shrug. "But I don't think you'd be the best one to ask. You're far too big."
"One of us may have been a better choice than Graham."
"Blades. Boulder. Relax." I sigh. "I've got this under control. I just need Ratchet's help. I got so used to having him that not having him around makes everything harder." I sigh. "Besides, Blades wouldn't be a good choice because of his vehicle mode."
"What?"
"Flight and carrying do not mix." I sigh softly. "You need to go find Dani and try to get something done, Blades. I need to worry about Graham and the Cybertronium."
"Okay."
MEDICAL BAY, FOUR HOURS LATER
"I've got it!"
I turn from where I'm finishing medical exams on the jaeger teens for Ratchet once we've brought him back on-line. "Hang on a sec, Cherno." I turn to Doc Greene. "Got what?"
"We've fixed the problem with the Cybertronium."
I nod. "Good." I sigh. "I need to finish here, then we'll start on Ratchet." I look up to Boulder. "How was Graham?"
"He's awake."
I nod. "All right. I'll finish with Cherno and we'll get to work on Ratchet's repairs."
TWO HOURS LATER
I smile. "That's the last of 'em."
"Now what?"
I sigh. "Boulder, go tell Optimus we're about to bring Ratchet back on-line. He'll want to be here."
"Are you ready?"
I sigh softly. "More than you know." I look down sadly. "Optimus taking off into space may have caused my move to Griffin Rock, but losing Ratchet broke me. Without the two of them, I found it hard to even try. When I met your family, Graham, I wasn't much more than an empty shell. You may not believe this, but Heatwave's actually the one that started to piece me back together again. He's…actually a lot like Ratch. It was like having him back again…" I sigh softly. "Knowing I had Ratchet's spark made things a little more tolerable, but… God, Graham, it was like losing a piece of myself." I turn when I hear the door open. "But now I can finally bring him back. He's family to me, you know? Now the missing piece is coming back again, and…" I wipe a tear out of my eye before shifting into my Cybertronian form. "I don't know what I'd do without him…" I sigh. "Even now, after four years have passed, I still don't know what I'd do without him." I turn to face Optimus. "Ready to see Ratchet?"
He simply nods, causing me to turn to the now-repaired frame on the Cybertronian-sized berth in front of us. I open my plating and take out the spark I had stored near my own. I close my eyes for a second. 'How we've all missed you. It's time, Ratchet. Time to come back to us.'
I sigh softly before setting the spark back into his chest and stare at it nervously as Optimus steps up behind me. "Starlight?"
I glance up. "I'm fine, Optimus. Just… anxious to see him again."
"As am I."
I lay a hand on Ratchet's plating. "I know there's just… so many things that could go wrong. He was my mentor… my teacher…" I sigh softly. "Like a father to me. After losing my family, then losing Ratchet…"
"Hopefully you won't lose me again."
I start and jerk my hand off the medic quickly, then glare at him. "Did you have to scare me? I'm on edge enough living here!"
"Where is "here"?"
I sigh heavily. "Hong Kong Shatterdome."
"I will give you some time with your guardian. I will need to finish preparations for Ratchet in our berth room."
"It's called a suite, Optimus." I watch him until he leaves, then turn back to the medic.
Ratchet sits up. "How many are left?"
I sigh heavily as I sit beside him. "A small rescue team, Bumblebee, Optimus, and myself."
"Protectobots?"
"Possibly one. Haven't gotten a clear story." I sigh. "No, Rescue Bots. Leader's a lot like you—temperament, at least. His name's Heatwave. He's the one that kept me together after you were killed and Optimus went into space. Then there's Chase, who's a little less by-the-book than Prowl was, and as far as I know, doesn't have the same problem Prowl did. Then there's Boulder, who, as far as I know, is in the front room with his human partner. He loves learning about Earth. Blades—"
"The Protectobot?"
"No clue. Whenever I try to talk about the other rescue teams off Cybertron, 'Wave's EMT clams up. He's timid, though. Not at all like the one we knew. He's afraid of heights."
"And he's a helicopter?"
I shrug. "Process of elimination. His human partner's a pilot."
"And you've kept up with your studies?"
I nod. "Read the data-pads in the bunker when the Burns' slept. Ran experiments with the scientist of their town, with Graham and Boulder's help. We're in the middle of one we need your help on."
He sighs. "I'll be your assist, but you will be required to tell me everything you can."
"Can do. What I can't, Graham will."
He nods. "You mentioned human partners. The Protectobots never had—"
"This team wasn't made for battle. Optimus set them in service on a small island. After your death, I went there to try to regroup, and found them. Heatwave helped me pick up the pieces, and Graham became a good friend…maybe more than a friend, someday." I sigh. "Charlie Burns is the father, and he's a police Chief—partnered with Chase. Kade's a fireman, partnered with Heatwave. Dani—Danielle, I've learned—is a search and rescue pilot, partnered with Blades." I sigh. "And, as I said before, Graham is Boulder's partner. He's an engineer, working on his PhD. Doc Greene knows the secret—Robots in Disguise, obviously. He's got a daughter that's a little older than Cody."
"Cody?"
"Graham's little brother. Cherno said he and Frankie should be in the room Herc set up for them to watch movies."
"Cherno?"
"Jaeger teen. Formerly non-sentient robot taller than 250 feet and built to face kaiju—giant monsters—now a seven foot teenager that can transform into either a techno-organic form or his full jaeger form to fight kaiju. There's five of them total—four boys, one girl, and they're all protective of the girl." I grab my tablet—designed like Graham's but with a few special additions, and used for medical purposes—and queue up their charts. "I just finished their medical exams, and have the information on a drive I can sync with your systems anytime you want me to."
"You did good." He sighs. "And the Rescue Bots?"
"Did every year. Last one was a week ago. Their reports are in the same place."
He nods. "And this experiment?"
"To see if a human could be able to carry at least a techno-organic—part Cybertronian—child. I was going to test it on myself, but Boulder's partner wanted to try. I didn't think it would work because we're not built like you guys, but it's been a month so far."
"And you've kept track of the symptoms?"
"He has. I had to come here and get everything set up for us when I learned Optimus was on his way back. Doc Greene helped him out while I was gone. I've got him staying in my suite with me so I can monitor him, though."
"Good." He sighs. "You need to take a few hours off. I can tell the repairs have been hard on you."
I rub the back of my neck. "Doc had to solve a problem I was having with the Cybertronium, and I've been staring at your off-line body for two weeks."
Ratchet nods before sighing. "I need you to try to get Blades to open up. If he is from the Protectobots gestalt, then he's the last one, and there's never one of a gestalt. Spark-break could take him from all of us before we're ready. You need to talk with him for me. I'll finish up in here."
"I watched him give his energon to save Griffin Rock, Ratch—all four of them. He's got an iron will—you just don't see that at first because of his compassion."
He sighs. "Do you still have the vid-comm?"
I wave my tablet in the air. "Same tablet you had made for me, Ratch. If it got damaged, Graham and Doc are great with tech…" I rub the back of my neck. "If you don't take Doc Greene's tendency to be like 'Jack used to be."
"He blows things up."
"Yep. Cherno too." I shake my head. "But, thankfully, I've been able to handle their mess-ups better than I did Que's."
"That was a new experience for me."
I rub the back of my neck. "I guess my diving behind your legs every time he blew something up was kind of startling."
He laughs softly. "Yes, it was, but I got used to it quickly." He sighs. "Talk with Blades, and comm me when you find something out. We need to know." He follows me with his eyes. "And tell Graham when you see him that I need to talk with him before nightfall."
