Prodigal Son

Chapter 5

Everyone shuffled around the firehouse parking lot, staring at the images on the monitors.
Given the confines of the firehouse interior, they'd set up extra equipment outside, allowing for freer movement, and better accommodation for the Cybertronians.
Charlie felt Doc grip his shoulder, as he exhaled a slow breath, his eyes frozen to the screen.
"... That's really him...."
Fowler paced around, using a tablet to transfer files to Raf's systems.
"We interviewed the Clerks. They said he didn't say much, but acted a bit weird. They said he acted.... Distant. But he was definitely acting independently."
Raf pulled up the files, commenting,
"The CCTV wasn't the clearest, but all the facial recognition software is making positive I.D. Outside surveillance managed to catch this."
Grainy, night vision footage filled the screen.
Sure enough, Cody exited the gas station, and with a smirk on his face, hopped inside a car they knew all too well.
It peeled off, followed seconds later by the cashier running outside, looking around in confusion.
Dani crumpled a water bottle in her hands, her teeth grinding together.
"That's it, all right.... I'm going to rip that thing apart with my bare hands."
Doc frowned, letting go of Charlie's shoulder as he mused,
"But... There's something that needs addressed here. The behavior on display, and what the Clerks described, is different from what previous experience with Cody observed."
Baranova nodded, adding,
"Agreed, Ezra. I've been studying old Griffin Rock security logs, and have observed the town's behavior when influenced by the phones originally. The trance originally inflicted upon you all appears to be a state of altered sedation. You all seemed very relaxed, at ease. It was almost a... Hive Mind, of sorts. But what Frankie described, while a tad different, appears to be along a similar vein. But this... This is yet another change in subject behavior."
Charlie sighed, saying, "Can we please not refer to him as a "Subject"? That's my son you're talking about."
Baranova flushed, looking ashamed.
"My apologies, Charlie, apologies. It's just scientific observation."
"But she has a point."
Graham leaned in next to Raf, staring deeply at Cody's frozen image.
"The original use of those phones was just as she said, Altered Sedation. But what Frankie witnessed, anger, hostility, that's new."
Frankie clutched the pendant on her necklace, her last encounter with Cody ringing in her ears.
"He was like.... A zombie. He didn't react to anything unless the Virus told him to. And even then ... He was.... Wrong. So... Corrupted."
Graham hesitantly nodded.
"That implies reduced stimulation. A stronger hold over him, and increased negative emotional response, but at the cost of natural autonomy. The encounter with the cashiers, however, is.... Different. Something's changed. Joking about time, that smirk, he's gaining self- agency."
Frankie rubbed the necklace, her thumb hovering over the button.
"Maybe the Virus messed with the frequency. According to the design schematics, the phones emit a frequency specifically designed to latch onto somebody's unique brain signature."
Baranova rubbed her chin, nodding in agreement.
"I agree, it checks out. Excellent observation, dear."
Graham only frowned.
"Hmm.... I can't help but feel like we're missing something..... There's just... Something that doesn't entirely add up."
Doc Greene looked over, and after registering Charlie's obvious discomfort, held up his hands in the "Time-out" signal.
"Why don't we put a pin in this, for the time being? Anna and I can go over notes on the phone schematics, hopefully gaining more Intel on the system functionality."
Agent Fowler nodded, and checked the tablet.
"I'll make some calls. I've had my boys combing highway traffic cams for the entire state of Maine, maybe they've got more news for me."
Charlie nodded in agreement, then declared,
"Alright team, you heard them. We'll regroup later, but for now, let's just dwell on what we've learned."
Everyone started to disperse, and Frankie ran up to Boulder.
"Boulder, can I borrow you for bit? I need help."
-
"Begin trial run."
The Moor-Bot watched with anticipation as Cody threw a rectangular device onto the ground, and two platforms of vibrant purple energy emerged from it.
Cody leaped onto it, the device lifting up into the air.
"Test the magnetic link."
Cody balanced each of his feet on the energy platforms, and after a quick pull, found them firmly anchored by the magnetic soles on his boots.
"Magnetic link secure."
"Excellent. Begin rudamentary flight test."
Cody did a lap around the warehouse interior, slowly increasing in speed.
"Test weaponry activation."
Cody, going faster than ever, suddenly zoomed towards a large dummy, scavenged from the M.E.C.H. supplies.
He slammed to a stop inches from it, and leaned forward, the bottom of the board nearly parallel with the dummy.
Suddenly, a bolt of crackling purple energy exploded from the bottom of the board, striking the dummy right in it's chest.
It flew back, the chest singed and burned as it hit a wall.
Cody brought the board down, dismounting and powering down as the Moor-Bot beamed.
"Trial run successful! Excellent boy, excellent!"
The Moor-Bot turned back to the Monitors, scanning over a series of schematics.
"Just as predicted.... The blueprints lifted from Doctor Greene are really quite useful. Even more so once I've made my improvements. The hoverboard designs are nearly flawless, but once combined with designs for your old repulser badge, it's created something most useful."
Cody flipped around the dark grey rectangle, asking,
"But here's what I don't get, the repulser badge exploded, I was in a CRATER. Won't this new hoverboard explode too?"
"Not so. The repulser badge was deeply flawed. It's own power caused the system to overheat, the field generation to violently misfire, and eventually explode. But with some easy changes, the cooling system is much improved, and excess energy is channeled into the weapon systems."
Cody smirked, glancing over at the dummy.
The smell of burnt rubber was putrid, the form charred black in some patches.
For a second, he hesitated.
He pictured his family in place of the dummy.
Pain pricked at his neck, and his eyes flashed purple, before he shook it off, saying darkly,
"Let's hit them with everything we've got."
-
"See it yet?"
Boulder glanced back at the dock, then shook his head.
"Not yet, but it's definitely around here somewhere!"
He turned back to the water, carefully watching his steps as he waded through the water.
Frankie called out,
"Thanks again! Sorry to detract from the mission like this, but I have a feeling I might need it."
"No, I understand! Yeah, getting the Turbo-Cycle back is probably a good idea. The saltwater might corrode it's engines, if it's down here for too long."
Frankie remembered ditching the bike in the moment of pursuit, her mind fixated on one thing alone.
She clutched the necklace yet again, trying to keep her mind from wandering.
"... Yeah..."
Boulder clapped his hands together, smiling as his Sonar echoed throughout the waves.
"There you are..."
He swiftly matched over, and pulled out the missing cycle.
"Found it!"
Boulder promptly sat it down on the Docks, and Frankie beaned.
"Yes! Thank you, so much!!"
"No problem!"
He gave another hit of sonar, giving a rudamentary assessment of the bike.
"The engines are flooded, but it should be a simple fix, with the right equipment. All in all, it's still in pretty good shape."
"I've fixed it up a few times already, I can definitely do it again."
Boulder took a minute to stretch out, saying, "it'll definitely give you an advantage, if we need to pursue that thing. Or... Or if...."
"We need to fight."
Frankie trailed her hand across the bike frame, her voice growing somber.
"Have you thought about that? That... That we..."
She trailed off, and Boulder gazed out across the sea.
".... We might need to fight Cody."
Frankie sighed, squeezing the necklace as she sat down on the dock, her legs dangling over the water.
".... He doesn't even know we're trying to save him, Boulder."
Boulder sighed, and leaned down, gently sitting next to her.
".... I know.... I know none of us want to hurt him, but.... He might not feel the same..."
"I.... I don't think I can do it. I just don't think I could fight Cody."
Boulder's spark ached, resonating deeply with Frankie's words.
".... I don't know what we'll have to do, when we find them. But... Maybe we could just... Focus firepower on the bot."
Frankie sighed, pulling her hand away from the pendant.
"Maybe if we restrain or distract him early on, we won't have to worry about him."
"True, but easier said than done."
Frankie stood up, stretching out as she paced back to the bike.
"We better get back, I need to get this fixed up."
"Yeah, let's go."
Boulder stood up, wading back to shore as Frankie wheeled the Cycle off the docs.
From a distance, Captain Shaw watched them, frowning to himself.
Slowly, he walked over to his boat, and connected to his Radio.
"Oy, Shaw here. Connect me to Lusky. Tell him it's about the Rescue Team. Tell- Oy, Mayor, we need to talk. I- No, I don't care about the cargo. I cannot just sit on the sidelines anymore! Those busted robots from Tuesday's fight still line the streets!!! They need help! It's long past time we did something instead'a just straggling around, watching 'em carry the weight of the town."
The old sea captain glowered at the radio, snarling,
"Tell me, Lusky. Are ya man enough to do what's right? Or are you so much of a coward, that ye'd turn a blind eye to a grieving family, that's ALWAYS put life and limb at risk for your cowardly hide?"
He slammed the radio down, then walked down the docks, grabbing the attention of anybody nearby. 
"OY, LADS! It's time!"
Time for a town meeting.