Prodigal Son

chapter 14

(Author's note: accidentally made this even longer than the last one, folks! Also, Emotion Warning! My lovely proofreaders yelled at me for making them cry and threatened violence XD)
-

Charlie had to swallow the bile rising in his throat as he practically screamed into his comn.
"HEATWAVE IS DOWN, I REPEAT, HEATWAVE IS DOWN!!!! INJURY CRITICAL!!!! MAINLAND TEAM, BRIDGE!!! NOW!!! FIREHOUSE TEAM, DEPLOY BLURR!!!"
Optimus jumped onto the comn, contacting a private frequency. 
"Old friend, we require your aid, NOW!"
A swirling green groundbridge opened up, and as Blades rushed over, somebody emerged from the portal.
Another orange and white bot rushed out of the portal, scanning the scene.
"Optimus, where is he?"
"Ratchet, thank Primus!"
Blades looked up, his jaw dropping.
"Ratchet?!"
The old medic stormed over, cursing as he saw the wound.
"No time for conversation, we need to get him out of here NOW, you hear me?!"
"Y-Yes sir."
From the ground, Heatwave gasped, his optics darting around wildly.
Blades trembled, whispering,
"Heatwave, just hang in there, please! We're getting you out of here, okay? Please, please just hold on...."
"... N..o.... Can..t... Leave..."
Heatwave wheezed, his processor scattered, barely registering the gaping hole in his cab, the shattered glass and internal burns.
Ratchet sighed, leaning in close to the wound, and wincing at the internal damage.
"He's going into shock."
"No.... Cody.... Is... Cody .... Safe..."
Blades exchanged a look with Ratchet, the older medic realizing how hard it was to answer.
-
Dani felt numb.
The scream that had ripped out of Kade was unlike anything she'd ever heard before. It was haunting, seeming to stick in her brain and echo around.
He'd collapsed on the ground, his body heaving, loud, agonized cries escaping his body.
She was jolted back to reality by the weight against her chest, and Cody's struggling.
"Put me down, put me down, put me down!"
She hadn't even realized how close to the ground she'd gotten, gradually sinking lower and lower untill her feet had nearly touched down.
Dani was unprepared for Cody to struggle out of her grasp, stumbling across the ground before falling to his knees, gasping wildly.
Instantly, Dani snapped to attention, the EMT part of her brain studying him extensively.
He wasn't putting pressure on his feet, which looked badly burned. They would've been right at the base of the explosion, and taken most of the blow.
The blood dripping down his forehead was likely from slamming his head against the tree. Like Kade, he'd need to be checked for a concussion.
Of course, she needed to catch him first.
"Cody, don't move, you're hurt."
"S... S-Stay back!"
Graham and Frankie ran up, and Dani threw out her arms, motioning them to stay back.
"Don't crowd him! He's scared, and in pain. Graham, you got a reading on the implant controlling him, right? I... I think it's damaged. There's a huge crack in it!"
Graham's eyes went wide, and he tapped his helmet, his jaw dropping as another scan started.
"Oh my god....  The mental corruption process is.... Fragmented..."
Frankie got down on one knee, holding out a hand.
".... Cody?"
He scooted back, his chest heaving, his eyes bright purple. The glow hadn't died down for some time.
"STAY. BACK."
His tone was twinged with violence, but also sheer panic.
But before anybody could say anything more, a new voice sent chills through then all.
"Now now.... Can't you see what you've done?"
The Moor-Bot approached from behind, Heatwaves's energon still dripping down it's cannon in rivers.
It was calm, eerily so.
Dani, Graham, and Frankie all tensed, filled with rage at the sight of the remorseless face.
Frankie snarled out,
"YOU MONSTER!!! YOU.... YOU.... MURDERER!!!"
The Moor-Bot only looked at the neon lifeblood, and smirked.
"It is as I have told my dearest partner... For innovation, there are always sacrifices.  The Firebot has been most useful, teaching me all I need to be an adequate partner. But now.... He is no longer useful."
Graham and Dani had to physically hold back Frankie, she thrashed around violently as she screamed,
"HEATWAVE IS A LIVING PERSON!!!! AND... AND YOU.... YOU KILLED HIM!!"
The bot only laughed, carefully stepping around Cody as it came toward, raising up the blue stained cannon.
"It's really quite humorous... You are not Cybertronian, he is not human, yet you regard each other as equals... No matter. In fact, I shall provide you all the same courtesy..."
The cannon began charging.
"How would you like to join him?"
Dani and Graham protectively yanked Frankie behind them, all three backing up, when the sudden sound of an approaching engine caught them all off guard.
"SPECIAL DELIVERY!!!"
Before the Moor-Bot could turn, a purple and green sports car plowed into it from behind, sending it flying.
The three ducked to the ground as the bot crashed overhead, as Blurr stood up, glaring with intense hated.
"That was for Heatwave, you piece of slag son of a scraplet."
Blurr leaned down, and Graham sighed.
"Blurr, great timing!"
"Not great enough, I'm gonna rip that thing to shreds for what it did to Heatwave."
Frankie suddenly whipped around, scanning the area.
"Uh.... Where'd Cody go?"
-
His neck hurt.
His legs hurt.
Everything hurt.
But most of all, his head was fuzzy, like it was full of static.
He'd felt nothing but anger, been taught that he should hate his family.
.... So why would Dani save him?
He didn't know where he was going as he crawled across the ground, his bare feet dragging through the dirt.
-
Bumblebee was positioned in front of Blades and Ratchet, his gun drawn as he kept a strong guard.
Ratchet scowled as he took a tool to the wound, Optimus watching the frantic procedure with concern.
"How is he faring?"
Blades handed Ratchet another piece of surgical equipment, sighing.
"Not great. But he's leaking so badly, we can't risk moving him yet."
Ratchet nodded absently.
"You made a wise call summoning me here. He's going to require extensive surgery, and an emergency transfusion. Assuming...."
He trailed off.
All three bots knew the implications.
But, Ratchet shook his head.
"But by Primus, we're not giving up on him."
Suddenly, Bumblebee stuttered.
"... Speaking of not giving up...."
The crunch of leaves made Optimus look up, just as Blades gasped.
"..... Is he..."
Cody seemed stunned by the large blue pool spreading around the Bot.
Blades turned his attention back to stopping the leakage, but answered,
"His spark is still pulsing."
"Co.... d...y..."
Heatwaves's hand twitched, his head turning.
Cody was greeted with dim optics, a weak, delirious smile.
"Heyyyyyyyyy.... Kid...."
Blades chastised,
"Heatwave, please, save your strength."
Cody adjusted his position on his knees, captured in a horrified awe.
Heatwaves's hand slowly forced itself closer, until Cody grabbed it. Heatwaves's large finger rubbed his tiny hand, as the Bot smiled weakly.
"..... He did this to you..... I.... I caused this..."
"No.... Kid.. Don't.... Don't blame yourself..."
Blades tried his best to keep a blank expression as he reached inside Heatwaves's chest, Ratchet leaning over with a surgical tool.
Heatwave seemed oblivious to what was going on, what was happening to his own body.
"Kid.... I... I finished my mission... You... Are my mission..."
"Your... Your mission?"
Cody knew his own mission. His partner had told him extensively why taking out the rescue team was of importance.
But he only saw kindness in the Firebot's eyes.
Even as he was dying, he only viewed the boy with a soft kindness.
His large hand drifted up, his thumb caressing the side of Cody's face.
" Yeah... that was it... Learn from the humans... Serve and protect... And I did... I protected you... And I would do it a hundred times over..."
Heatwave stared into Cody's purple eyes, chuckling softly.
"You changed my life, kid..... It's only... Right... That I go out saving yours..."
Cody's neck throbbed, the veins on his shoulders, neck, and cheeks all lit up, the same deep purple as his eyes.
It hurt.
But he didn't care.
"I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry..."
Heatwave only caressed his face again, even teasingly flicking his hair.
"Hey.... What's a.... Rescue.... Bot... Who... Doesn't... Rescue..."
His hand fell away, the lids of his optics pulling down.
Cody scooted as close as he could, grasping the top his shoulder.
"Please.... Don't go.... Please..."
"It's okay... It's okay.... Cody... Promise... Me .. one... Thing...."
"Anything."
The orange glow of his optics was dim now, like the fading embers of a campfire.
"Promise me you won't let him destroy that sweet child that changed my world.... Promise me you won't let him take your soul. Promise... Me... You'll keep...being... you..."
Cody threw his arms around his neck.
"I promise.... I promise..."
Heatwave gave him one last, slow smile.
"Don't cry... I'm going home."
His optics closed, and his head tipped back.
His hand went completely limp, and Ratchet cursed, Blades imedianty looking panicked.
"WE'RE LOOSING HIM!!! SCRAP, WE NEED TO GO, NOW!!!!!"
With that, Optimus, Ratchet, and Blades all picked up Heatwave, lifting him as carefully as possible through the swirling green portal, which closed behind them.
The ragged fabric of Cody's torn pants were soaked through from the Energon covering the ground.
He slowly stretched out his hands, seeing the blue liquid coating them.
He hadn't realized how much he'd been soaked by getting close to Heatwave.
He hadn't realized how much Energon was supposed to be inside a bot.
A quick touch to his face revealed some there as well, from where Heatwave had held him.
He held out his hand, seeing the energon mixed with his own blood, and fresh tears.
His hands shook, tears welling up in his eyes and streaming down his face. 
This was wrong.
This was all wrong.
At the back of his neck, the implanted chip started sparking from the large crack.
-
The Moor-Bot's stance was uneven, it's paint chipped, dents and cracks in it's metal.
It was surrounded by a ring of observers, bots and humans.
Chase pointed out his wrist, his tazers cracking and aimed.
"We have you surrounded. By the combined law enforcement of Griffin Rock and Cybertron, I hereby press the heinous charges of aggravated assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, premeditated violence, and most recent.... Attempted murder."
The Bot slowly spun around, and as it took in everybody's faces, it only laughed.
A slow chuckle at first, slowly increasing in intensity, louder and louder, until it was doubled over, everyone captivated by the horrifying display.
It raised up the cannon, now dried with a gummy blue residue.
"All the same, all of you!!! ALL OF YOU!!! Don't you see?!?! All sacrifices are worth it in the name of progression!!! Becoming a Bot, taking Cody as a partner, all of it has been in the name of evolution!!! I became just like you.... Then.... I became better.... Superior."
It held out it's arms, intoxicated with a twisted euphoria.
"The Firebot is gone. And with him, I have taken all I need. He is now irrelevant. You are now irrelevant."
"You're fucking insane."
Everyone turned as Kade stomped up, his eyes red, his jaw set.
He matched right past the team, his eyes those of a man planning murder as he was less than a foot away.
"He. Is. My. Partner. He's my friend. You. Took. My. Friend. You took my brother. You keep taking EVERYTHING. YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM THIS FAMILY."
The Moor-Bot leaned down, it's eyes narrowing.
"Well.... I suppose you're right. I cannot leave you without a partner, can I?"
Kade found the cannon barrel pointed right at his head, terrified screams from the rest of the team sounding off.
"Don't worry.... I shan't leave you at all."
"STOP!"
The Moor-Bot looked up, the cannon dropping aside as everybody turned, jaws agape.
Cody emerged from the darkness, slowly coming into full view.
He had a slow, pained limp. His stance was awkward, but what really stood out was the neon blue substance stained all over him.
Tears dripped down his face.
His eyes, face, neck, and shoulders were all glowing bright purple.
Chief pressed his hands against his mouth, feeling sick to the pit of his stomach.
Cody looked up at the moor-Bot, his tone broken, shaking.
"Leave... My... Brother... Alone."
The Moor-Bot paused, then shook his head.
"Now now.... Dear boy.... Clearly, you are mistaken! I have helped you!! They have done nothing but hold you back. And him, the Firebot's partner, he's worst of all!"
"Get... Out... Of my.... Head..."
Cody dropped to his knees, his breath hard as he scanned the crowd.
"Leave Kade alone... Leave EVERYONE alone!! You.... You killed him.... Heatwave... He's.... He's gone.... He told me goodbye... He told me he's going home..."
The Cybertronians all gasped, knowing exactly what he meant.
"... He's gone.... Because of you... Because of me...."
"Dear boy, we've been over this. It's all in the name of-"
"STOP LYING TO ME!!"
Cody's hands went to his neck, and he made eye contact with the bot.
"I won't help you hurt anybody again."
the only Moor-Bot sighed.
"... I must say... I'm truly dissapointed. I had truly grown to like you. But clearly, you have forgotten. I. Control. You."
Cody screamed in anguish as his neck was struck with unholy agony, but it didn't stop his hand from digging into his skin.
Before anybody realized what was happening, there was a loud metallic snap.
Sparks flew, metal whined as it bent, and purple energy flashed a dying supernova.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!"
Then, all of a sudden, the purple energy was all gone at once.
Cody's hand dropped to his side, holding the ruined, cracked, burned implant chip, the back dripping with blood.
The Moor-Bot was filled with horror.
"... No...."
"Partnership.... Ended..."
Then, Cody toppled over, fresh blood pouring out of his neck.
"COOODDDYYYYY!!!!!!!"
Kade ran over, and cradled him gently in his arms.
"Cody, Cody please, speak to me!"
Dani ran over, checking his pulse as she ripped off a corner of her shirt, pressing it against the wound.
"He's alive, we need to get him to the hospital."
Graham checked the tablet, and his brow creased.
"I... I can't tell what state his mind is in! Without the implant automatically tracking his neural pathways, I need different equipment to gage his neural patterns!"
Frankie leaned in, running a hand through his hair.
"Cody.... Hang in there...."
He opened his eyes, fresh tears forming.
"I'm sorry... I'm so... So sorry..."
Kade cradled him gently.
"Buddy.... You're going to be okay.... You're going to be okay.... You're safe now...."
Cody's eyes drifted shut with fresh tears squeezing out, and he passed out.
Dani checked his pulse again, and they all fell quiet.
The Moor-Bot scowled in pure rage, but before it could even raise it's cannon, another shot exploded into the arm, the bot screaming as Bumblebee stared without an ounce of emotion.
Boulder charged forward, and before they even realized what was happening, the cannon arm was crumpled on the ground, severed from the body.
Chase swept in, delivering a strong electrical charge, followed by Blurr delivering another hit and run.
Bumblebee slowly delivered the occasional hit, just forcing the bot back, who was completely oblivious that it was being herded.
Hit after hit, blow after blow, it was forced back, until they neared a certain fenced-in area.
The Cybertronians all exchanged a look, nodded, and lined up, the Moor-Bot was left directly in front of the fence.
Boulder pointed out, his usually kind optics narrowed.
"You messed with the wrong rescue team. But even more..."
Chase finished, nodding sternly.
"You have provoked the wrong family."
Blurr pounded his hands together, cracking his neck.
"Alright you hunk of junk.... This is for Heatwave, and Cody."
Bumblebee nodded, the slightest hint of a smirk.
"Welcome to Griffin Crest."
Together, the four charged, and rammed into the Moor-Bot, sending it crashing clear through the wooden fence.
The Moor-Bot started screaming, as it glitched, systems quickly failing as it found itself paralyzed in place.
Boulder smirked, looking very satisfied.
"Ah yes, Griffin Crest. Also known as, The EMP Zone."
Chase looked equally smug.
"Local safety ordinance strictly forbids Cybertronian entrance into the fenced area. Luckily for us, we are all within permitted perimeters. You, however, are not."
The Moor-Bot completely collapsed, sprawled out on the grounds.
Every system was shutting down one by one.
Despite everything,
It knew.
This was the end.
The face glitched out, and uttered two final words.
"... Game.... Over..."
The final systems shut down, and it was over.
The AI was terminated.
It was over.
-
Kade carefully lay Cody down in Chase's back seat, Charlie hopping in the front.
"Partner, I know you won't like this -"
"I understand, sir. Road laws shall be violated."
Cody stirred, whimpering slightly. Charlie leaned over, then caressed his son's forehead.
He was still covered in dried blood and Energon, and Charlie looked up, addressing the rest of the team.
Everyone was roughed up, visibly shaken and scattered, nursing various injuries.
"..... There's.... A lot to discuss. But we need to take care of certain matters first."
Kade nodded, saying,
"Go. Get him help."
Charlie nodded, then Chase's doors closed, and he peeled off.
Everyone watched them peel off, then as soon as they were out of sight, Kade dropped to his knees.
He was quiet for a moment, then fell forward, his arms propping him up as a deafening wail of pure emotion tore it's way out of his lungs, his entire body shaking violently.
-
Ratchet sighed, falling back against the wall, thoroughly exhausted.
It had been hours of procedures.
Yet, Blades, equally exhausted, couldn't help a somber smile.
"I don't believe it...."
Ratchet, long having lost any sort of wonder in the medical field, sighed, but nodded.
"A real fighter, that one. I wasn't expecting him to pull through. But... He made it. He actually made it."
Heatwave was suspended in a stasis tube, a steady Energon drip connected to him.
The glass had been completely removed from his cab, deep scars etched into his metal, his pain scratched almost completely off at the chest.
But despite all odds, he was alive.
Ratchet sighed, seeing the younger medic's enthusiasm.
"Don't get too excited. He's steady, but he's still in a coma. His recovery will be a whole process in of itself."
Still, Blades smiled, placing a hand on the tube.
"He made it this far. That's more than enough."