Prodigal Son

chapter 4

He couldn't explain the feeling in his head.
A dull ringing in his ears slowly faded out as he sat up, taking a second to clear the static from his brain.
He extended his hands, confusion nagging at him as he forced his arm, a strange feeling shooting through his body.
He winced at the sharp pain in his neck, but before he could focus on it for long, a booming voice caught his attention.
"Ah, dear partner, you're awake!"
Cody glanced up, his eyes flashing purple as a dark smirk filled his face.
"Yup."
He jumped off the cot, stretching a bit as he looked around.
"So, we having any fun today?"
"Patience, Cody, patience. We shall enact our revenge soon enough. But first, we must prepare."
The Moor-Bot smirked from the eager response, then turned to the monitors.
"I have a strategy in mind. Your family will surely be expecting us, therefore we must prepare."
Cody walked closer, and as the Moor-Bot pulled up a series of schematics from the monitors, it slowly looked over, studying the boy sharply.
"Tell me, Cody. How do you feel, about seeing your family again?"
It studied his expression carefully, as Cody's face went blank.
How... How did he feel?
"How do you feel about taking our revenge upon them?"
...... Could he actually.....
Suddenly, the sharp, biting pain from his neck flared up, and he grimaced.
The Moor-Bot leaned in close, it's tone void of any emotion other than dry, twisted glee.
"Tell me, Cody Burns. Can you kill your family?"
Cody's eyes flashed a vibrant lavender, and slowly the grimace faded, a slow smile taking it's place.
They cast you aside.
"They threw me aside. They couldn't see my potential, couldn't see how much they need me."
The pain receded, and the Moor-Bot only smiled, pleased as Cody pulled his hands away from his neck, nodding to himself.
".... They never deserved me. ..... I... I..."
The Moor-Bot leaned down, gently touching his shoulder.
"Say it."
The lavender flare was brighter than ever as his voice deepened, nearly a growl.
"... I'll destroy them all ...."
The large metal hand squeezed his shoulder, sickening pride oozing into it's words.
"Good boy. Now, come, my partner. First order of business, retrieving needed parts from the nearest town."
The bot threw open the warehouse doors, and Cody immediately followed.
Once he stepped outside, the bot closed the doors, and shifted modes.
"Come, we have much to do."
Cody only smiled darkly, the lavender fading.
"Can't wait, partner."
-
It was well after midnight by the time Heatwaves's treads rolled across the Firehouse driveway.
Kade hopped out of the truck doors, yawning as he stretched his back, and wincing as a loud pop sounded.
"Ugh.... I don't even know what time it is...."
Heatwave shifted modes, a tired scowl on his face as he stretched out himself..
"Don't know. Rest up, I'm hoping to cover more ground."
Kade yawned, before snarking,
"Don't you need to recharge or change a tire or something?"
"Not important."
He glowered, and Kade gave him a pointed look, but stumbled inside, a dead look in his eyes.
As soon as he was out of sight, Heatwave sighed, and turned to head back out, but froze as a voice called for his attention.
"Heatwave."
Heatwave cringed, and as he turned around, he was reminded of a movie Blades had made him watch, where a teenager had been caught sneaking out to go to a party.
".... Prime, Sir. Is .. something wrong?"
Optimus didn't give anything away, only motioning for Heatwave to follow him.
"Follow me, please. I wish to have a word with you."
"Sir, I really need to-"
"Heatwave."
Optimus's tone was gentle, but firm. Sensing that arguing would go nowhere, Heatwave sighed, and followed.
Optimus started walking off, towards the wooded area around the firehouse.
"Over the call, I sensed that you blamed yourself heavily for Cody's abduction."
"I-"
Optimus gently pushed aside a tree branch, then paused, watching a raccoon scuttle across their path.
It seemed to give no thought to the titan-like beings standing mere feet away, and Optimus patiently watched it, waiting for the creature to pass before continuing.
"I have been observing, since my arrival. The loss of Cody Burns is a painful thing. It has impacted everyone quite heavily. But it was a conversation with Francine Greene that showed me, not everyone is quite ready to admit having this pain."
Heatwave groaned, shoving aside another branch.
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't need a lecture. I need to get back out there, I need to keep patrolling. The Moor-Bot could strike at any moment, somebody could find a lead any second now. I need to be ready!! We were caught with our guard down, and paid for it. If we'd been prepared, if we'd had more time, if.... If...."
He trailed off, and Optimus firmly grasped his shoulder.
"The past is forever burdened by lament and regrets. But you must not let yourself be weighed down by remorse. The future is still open."
"But...."
Heatwave pulled away, looking out at the darkened woods.
".... When I first arrived here, I was fully prepared to disobey your orders. I thought humans were no concern to us, that I deserved to be on the front lines, fighting alongside you. I was infuriated, just about to storm right out that door, no looking back. But... Cody."
Heatwaves's head bowed some, and he chuckled painfully.
" .. he was so small. But he had no fears or anything about aliens in his basement. He just matched right up to us and introduced himself, saying our mission would be blown without him. Said he would help us. And ... He did. Primus.... That was so long ago...."
He slowly turned around, meeting Optimus optic to optic.
"... He stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life. He doesn't even know it, but he saved me. I was so focused on what I wanted, I never realized what I needed. He saved me.... And I couldn't protect him.... I failed him.... I failed the person who changed the entire way I viewed my place on this planet. Slagg, my place in the universe."
Heatwave turned away again, then his hand slowly rose, clenched into a tight first as his entire body started to shake.
".... We might never get him back. We might never see him again, and he'll never know just how important he was. He'll never know how he changed my spark."
Heatwaves's processor started ringing.
Prime said something, but he couldn't understand what.
The world started spinning, a vile feeling churning his fluids.
Without warning, he swing around, a piercing scream escaping the depths of his voice box as his fist collided with a tree.
The trunk shattered on impact, splintered wood shooting through the air as the top of the tree toppled over, a heavy thud echoing through the night.
Heatwave collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving as his hands met the ground, his body trembling violently.
".... Primus..... Forgive me.... Cody.... Forgive me."
Optimus carefully walked up beside him, and without a word, extended his hand.
Heatwave raised his head, and his optics went wide as he latched onto the jacket delicately clutched in Optimus's palm.
He raised himself up, taking the jacket like it was fragile china.
He pressed it to his chest, feeling the pulse of his spark through the fabric.
His optics closed, and Optimus's hand once again grasped his shoulder.
"We will bring him home. No matter the cost."
No matter the cost.
The words seemed to echo, and after a moment, Heatwave pulled himself to his feet.
"... No matter the cost."
He raised the jacket again, and the orange of his optics glowed with a fierce intensity as he made a silent vow.
Cody would be saved.
Or he would die trying.
-
The drolling hum of the countertop fan was like a quiet static, and Jean groaned at she stared at the clock.
"I swear, I'm gonna break Steve's face ... He knows I don't do night shift!"
Her coworker, tapping away on his phone, only sighed.
"Welcome to hell. Look, just another hour of nothing, and it'll be somebody else's problem."
Suddenly, the swish of the front doors caught both their attention, and both straightened up, Elliot scrambling to shove his phone in his pocket.
The customer was a teenage boy, his head bowed as he started rummaging through isles.
Jean frowned. It was nearly 2AM, what was a kid doing here?
His hands were shoved into the pockets of a black hoodie, his head tipped down as he grabbed items from a couple shelves.
Finally, he walked up to the counter, shoving various food items onto the counter.
Jean started scanning, a weird feeling nagging at her.
"Hey, isn't it a little late for you?"
He brushed a blonde lock out of his eyes, shrugging non-chalantly.
"Time is a social construct."
Elliot snorted at that, but something seemed... Off.
The kid looked.... Familiar.... But from where...
Still, she rang up the goods, announcing,
"That'll be $17.23."
The boy only handed over a bill, and grabbed his bags.
"Keep the change."
Elliot looked at the bill, and his jaw dropped at seeing the fifty dollar bill.
"... WOAH."
"Wait!"
The kid, about to run off, turned, and Jean asked,
"Kid, you okay?"
The kid hesitated for a minute, then smirked.
"Never better."
With that, he walked off, dissapearing out the front doors.
Elliot turned to the register, chuckling to himself.
"Man, you get all kinds on night shift..."
"... OH MY GOD!!!"
Jean suddenly scrambled for her phone, a lightbulb going off.
"The kid!! Holy shit!!!"
She frantically pulled up a news article, and practically cranked the device into her co-worker's face.
"LOOK!! THE KID!!"
"JEAN WHAT ARE YOU-"
Elliot grabbed the phone, skimming the headlines, before his jaw dropped.
"... No way..."
Missing: Cody Burns
14 year old Abducted from home of Griffin Rock Maine
The article went on to list a physical description, before showing a recent picture.
It was undoubtedly the same kid.
Jean rushed around the counter, yelling, "CALL THE COPS, QUICK!"
she burst out the doors, and scanned the parking lot.
But all she saw was the trail of rapidly dissapearing car lights.