Hey there readers, last chapter we ended where the episode 'Masters and Students' was, now we're onto the 'Scrapheap' Episode! And those who've watched the Transformers Prime show know what happens here!
Hope you enjoy the first part, with my take on it!
Note: There's a reference to my earlier fanfic 'Bad Day' in this chapter.
Chapter Thirty
Arctic Find
A few days past and the days were rather eventful with the Autobots searching for energon, or any Decepticon Activity.
In between their liaison with the Autobots, the Hamato Clan went back and forth via the Ground bridge to New York to check on Criminal Activity, which was rather quiet apart from the odd activity from the Purple Dragons which they were able to dispose of quickly.
April and Casey were equally glad to hear from Donatello that Fowler's superiors had granted them protection as well as the chance to liaison with the Autobots as well. Though they did pity Leonardo and Monalisa going through the grilling.
On this particular day on a Saturday morning, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were sitting on medic berths with blue plugs on their chests whilst Ratchet and Donatello watched over them.
They had returned from a mission in the Arctic where Ratchet had picked up a Cybertronian signal from that location, and Optimus sent them out there to have a look.
When they had arrived, they had found encased in a large block of ice a large metal containment pod.
They had soon returned it to Base via the Ground Bridge, and they had placed it in a spare room within the silo to defrost whilst the Autobot medic insisted on the two Autobots go through a thorough check to make sure they had sustained no damage whilst exposed to zero temperatures.
It had been a while now and Bulkhead was getting impatient.
"I told you doc!" he snapped as he pulled off one of the plugs "We're fine!"
Yet Ratchet pushed the green wrecker back on the berth.
"The only way to be certain you're fine Bulkhead." He scolded in his serious bedside manner "Is to endure standard defrosting procedure!"
Donatello couldn't help but laugh as he often felt like Ratchet when trying to get his brothers and sister to remain still whilst he worked on their injuries, and he also knew James and Dahlia in Mutopia had the same attitude when trying to reason with their patients.
"You know that prolonged exposure to sub-zero conditions can cause permanent damage!" Ratchet finished.
"Listen to the good doctor Bulkhead!" Pandora piped up as she stood before Bulkhead.
The two autobots looked at the hybrid in amazement that she agreed with Ratchet as since the two met they clanged heads most of the time, even Donatello was surprised.
"Since when are you the mature one Geisha?" he asked.
Pandora rolled her eyes.
"Very funny Uncle!" she said then looked at Bulkhead and Bumblebee.
"Hey, I get it, you're bored," she said, "I understand what it was like when I had my appendix out!"
So saying she lifted her red top to show a scar on her stomach to which the Autobots cocked their heads to see it.
"Cool scar huh?" she grinned "but anyway, I can keep you company!"
"That might make this a little more bearable." Bulkhead said as he lowered his servo and Pandora climbed into it.
"So, what you gonna entertain us with?" Bulkhead asked then Bumblebee bleeped at him to which he nodded in agreement.
"How about you tell us what a Pendix is?" he asked.
Pandora opened her mouth yet before she could answer, Optimus walked up with Arcee and Ironhide.
"Ratchet?" he asked, "Have you learnt anything more about our Arctic find?"
"Not yet." Ratchet replied as he gestured to the screen showing the pod that was in the other room defrosting.
"It can't be open when it's frozen solid."
"I wonder what's inside it?" Kemeko asked who was walking down the stairs of the higher platform.
"We'll find out soon enough lass." Ironhide assured the young Asian girl.
"I hope it's something I can study when it's fully defrosted." Donatello said as he watched the screen eagerly.
"Whilst that is happening." Optimus said "Ironhide, Arcee and I will search for any clue to our Arctic find."
"Only until your sensors sound." Ratchet reminded him wagging a digit.
He used his handheld scanner to upload a program into the three Autobots, causing their Autobot insignia on their bodies to blink blue.
"Remember, once your core temperature drops into the blue zone, system failures are not likely, they are immanent."
Optimus nodded understanding the medic.
"What else are you expecting to find out there?" Leonardo asked from the High Platform where he, Raphael, Michelangelo, Monalisa and Splinter were sitting.
Michelangelo was reading a comic book on one of the blow-up mattresses and munching on potato chips whilst Raphael and Monalisa were watching something on the TV whilst accompanying the sofa and Splinter was reading a book in the armchair.
"We're not sure as yet," Arcee replied "Maybe more clues to the pod that Bulkhead and Bumblebee found."
"Wish I could go with you guys!" Pandora piped up from Bulkhead's hand "I love snow!"
"The Arctic?" Kemeko asked "But cold and reptiles don't go together! Even I don't like being cold!"
"You're not going anywhere Geisha!" Raphael called over from the raised platform.
"So don't even think about following them!" Monalisa added making Pandora pout.
"I would invite you to join us, Pandora." Optimus said with a hint of a smirk in his voice "But your mother and father are right that you should remain here, the conditions are much too extreme, even for us Autobots."
"I know that." Pandora said with a shrug "I was only saying..."
"We know." Optimus replied reassuringly "But I will bring you back a Snowball."
"Cool! Thanks!" Pandora smiled.
Hearing Optimus say that to their daughter, Raphael and Monalisa looked at each other and smiled at the Prime's kindness towards the Hybrid.
Locking in the co-ordinates, Ratchet fired up the Ground bridge and Optimus, Ironhide and Arcee walked through it.
"Ground Bridge travel successful…" Ratchet said pulling the level to deactivate the Bridge, but as he did, the controls to the Ground Bridge short-circuited and sparked out.
"By the All-Spark." He muttered in shock.
Donatello also jumped as he witnessed that.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I don't know." Ratchet replied as he instantly went to investigate.
Meanwhile Pandora and Kemeko looked to Bulkhead and Bumblebee.
"How about we get our books from our sleeping quarters?" Kemeko asked "We got a few things about Earth Culture and lore to show you!"
Bumblebee cocked his head as did Bulkhead.
"What kind?" he asked.
Kemeko was about to answer when Ratchet's voice was heard from the other side of the Silo.
"Bulkhead, Bumblebee, here, now!" Ratchet shouted.
"You go find what you want to show us." Bulkhead said, "We'll check in with you later?"
"Sure thing!" Pandora said then gestured with her head to get Kemeko to follow her out of the main silo to get to their sleeping quarters.
Meanwhile Bulkhead and Bumblebee walked over to where Ratchet was.
"You can't boss us around just because the boss is out." Bulkhead said from his spot near the couch.
"I need some heavy lifting; the Ground Bridge is down." Ratchet said ignoring Bulkhead's comment.
As Ratchet said that Leonardo's ninja ears picked it up and he looked over concerned.
Raphael noticed his older brother's look.
"What's up Leo?" he asked to which Leonardo shushed him.
Bumblebee then bleeped something at Ratchet to which the Medic replied to the scout:
"Optimus, Ironhide, and Arcee made it through just fine, it's bringing them back that concerns me. Now remove those panels."
He pointed to the Ground Bridge's maintenance core.
"Chop. Chop."
Hearing that, Leonardo's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Raphael.
"Somethings wrong." He spoke.
"What is it?" Raphael asked and Michelangelo, Monalisa and Splinter looked up with concern.
"I think the Ground Bridge is down." Leonardo said quietly to which the other mutants looked worried.
Meanwhile, Pandora and Kemeko were walking to their sleeping quarters and discussing what to show Bulkhead and Bumblebee.
"I think they'd love the works of Shakespeare." Pandora suggested "Once they got the idea of the language, I wonder if they had any bards on Cybertron?"
"We can only ask when we get back." Kemeko said, "Otherwise we could start them off with some other authors, like Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, or Rudyard Kipling?"
"Sounds good to me!" Pandora agreed.
Just then, the two girls heard metal clanging nearby and they looked over to see a loose screw lying on the floor.
Pandora frowned and walked over before picking it up and analysing it.
"Where did that come from?" Kemeko asked.
"No idea!" Pandora said, then she heard a scuttling nose above her head.
"Did you hear that?" she asked to which Kemeko nodded.
Pandora reached for Mr Swinger on her belt and Kemeko did the same with her boomerang blade.
"Hello?" Pandora called out "Anyone there?"
Kemeko flinched slightly as she heard the same scuttling sound and soon, they were hearing them all around the large corridor and it started to worry them.
"I don't like this, Pandora." Kemeko whimpered.
"Me neither Kem!" Pandora agreed then narrowed her eyes before getting ready to swing her weapon around.
"Okay! Come out, wherever you are!" she challenged, then she and Kemeko heard a noise behind them, and they jumped in fright, and they fell over each other screaming!
"What the...?" Pandora cried as she sat up "I tripped over you!"
"Hey! It wasn't my fault!" Kemeko snapped.
Pandora glared then she saw Kemeko's eyes widen and point behind her.
"Look!"
The Hybrid looked behind her and to her surprise there was a small metal creature, it's head was the size of a small soccer ball with large lavender eyes and four tiny legs.
"What the shell?" she cried.
"Wh... where did you come from?" Kemeko asked nervously before laughing in admiration as the unidentified creature came even closer with the cute eyes almost like a curious kitten.
"The Autobots never said anything about pets." The Asian girl said as she got up then helped Pandora to her feet.
Pandora frowned and twiddled the screw she picked up in her hand, to which the creature started to hop up and down like an excited puppy.
"I think it wants the screw." Kemeko said taking it from Pandora's hand and waved it about.
"Wanna to play fetch?" she asked the little creature with a smile to which it hopped and ran around in circles with excitement.
"Go get it." Kemeko cheered happily as she threw it and the creature raced after it, yet as it reached the screw, it started to eat it!
"No! Don't eat that! You're going to choke!" Pandora cried, yet to the hybrid's surprise, the creature turned around after devouring the screw.
"I think he ate it..." she said as it scurried over to the two girls and started to nuzzle against Kemeko's leg like a cat would making happy chirps and clicks and Pandora couldn't help but smile at the cuteness of it.
"Let's show the others!" Kemeko said excitedly picking it up.
"Okay lets!" Pandora said, "I think Uncle Mike's gonna fall in love with him!" she patted the creature's head, and they walked back to the main silo.
"I remember the pictures she showed me of his pet cat Klunk." She explained to Kemeko "I always wondered why he never got another cat after that."
"Some people just don't feel they can ever replace their beloved pet." Kemeko suggested looking down at the metal creature in her arms.
"Yeah, true that!" Pandora agreed as they rounded the corner.
Yet as they did, they failed to notice that further down the corridor, an outlet was damaged and ripped to shreds with the wires and cables sparking slightly.
Uh oh! Looks like there's trouble brewing since the Ground Bridge is down, and those who have seen the show know very well why!