Prodigal Son

Chapter 28

Mayor Lusky leaned over his desk, jabbing a finger down at the map of the town spread across the surface, highlighting the town square.
"I suggest the Cybertronians line up here, and have Heatwave come through here."
Agent Fowler nodded, then tapped the comn clipped to his lapel.
"Get that, Chase?"
"Affirmative. Placing barricades as we speak."
"Copy."
Fowler cut the feed, then nodded to the Mayor.
"That should be about it for the planning. Now we just need to put it all together."
"Right. How much time do you need?"
Charlie cracked his Knuckles, his eyes drifting to the leather satchel slung around Fowler's shoulder.
"Not long. At least, now that Fowler has... The payload."
Fowler smirked slightly, patting the satchel.
"Not easy to get on short notice, by the way. Especially in XXL."
"Hey, I wasn't about to question Optimus, and I'm sure you weren't either."
"Nope!"
The two chuckled, and Lusky looked away awkwardly.
He stared down at the map, Huxley's words ringing in his head.
But even hypocrites have some morals.
.... He certainly needed to learn that, didn't he?
"Have you heard from Huxley?"
Lusky looked up, his eyes wide.
Speak of the devil...
Charlie nodded, clarifying to Fowler.
"Yeah, he's conferring with Doc right now. It should be seamless."
"What exactly are you doing with Huxley?"
Charlie and Fowler both glanced at the mayor, surprised.
"Uh... Well... We needed to discuss his broadcast of the event."
"You're... You're broadcasting this?"
"Just to one channel. With only two viewers."
Charlie's expression darkened, his eyes narrowed.
"Let me make this clear here and now. If you even think of exploiting my family at a time like this-"
"No. I... Won't. I won't."
He met the chief eye to eye.
"I've... Done a lot of things. To you. To your family. But... I won't do anything. Not now."
Charlie sighed, then turned away.
"I'll just have to see if you keep that promise, mayor."
As Fowler followed Charlie out, Lusky sank into his chair.
The doors closed, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
A faint whisper escaped him.
"... I guess I'll see too..."
-
Kade yawned, cracking his neck before he looked down.
Cody was stretched out across his legs, his eyes closed as soft breaths caused his chest to flutter up and down.
"Hey."
Dani and Graham stood in the doorway, and Dani awkwardly rapped on the doorframe.
"Need some company?"
"Sure, just keep it down. He's sleeping."
Graham sighed, stepping around Dani.
"Yeah, I'm guessing he needs it."
The two pulled up chair next to the bed, and Dani smiled sadly, leaning over and tousling Cody's hair.
"How's he doing?"
"Better. I think."
Graham raised an eyebrow.
"You think?"
"Well... I think he's doing better. I think the talk went well. He seemed... Relived, to get that off his chest."
Kade sighed, cracking his neck.
"God knows how long he's been holding that in."
Graham and Dani sighed, and Graham added,
"Yeah... But now that he got it out, where do we go from here?"
Dani ran a hand through her hair, her hands twitching.
"We be better, obviously."
"But what does that mean? We can say we're going to be better, but what does that mean?"
Kade gazed downward, attempting to shift his legs slightly without disturbing Cody.
"... Good question. I've been thinking about that a lot. And... I've been thinking. Why were we so distant from Cody in the first place?"
Dani rubbed her neck, her foot absently bouncing on the floor.
"I... Don't know. I mean... Obviously, we've had time to think about a lot of things. We all have some idea, right?"
"Right."
"Right."
Graham looked over, making eye contact with Kade.
"Hey... How are you doing?"
Kade paused, then smiled awkwardly.
"Well, my legs are asleep, but-"
"Kade."
Graham's tone was even, his eyes focused.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it."
".... Yeah...."
Graham leaned over, grabbing his shoulder.
"Kade. We... Everybody knows that you blame yourself. Holding onto this guilt, it'll poison you."
".. I know. I know..."
The three went quiet, before Kade chuckled softly.
"Do you remember when we were kids? Everybody called us "the terror trio", because of all we got into, heh."
Dani snorted, nodding.
"Oh, do I remember that... Remember when we snuck into the ferry, and Graham distracted dad while you and I walked around Milford?"
Graham laughed, shooting the two a teasing stink eye.
"Yeah, we all got grounded for a month! Didn't you two sell me out after getting busted by one of dad's mainland friends?"
Dani elbowed him, smirking as she snarked,
"Hey, you agreed to going down with the ship!"
"Dad almost had a heart attack to see you two getting brought home in a cruiser that wasn't his!"
The three shared a laugh, and Kade smiled, staring out at nothing in particular.
"... Us three were inseparable, huh?"
Graham clutched the fabric of his pants, the leg bouncing idly.
"... Remember when I was bullied in Lad Pioneers? That night my group left me stranded the woods.... You two almost got taken to juvenile hall, after you got ahold of those guys."
Dani and Kade exchanged a glance, old memories pouring in.
A long, slow breath hissed out of Dani.
"... You know we don't regret that, right?"
Kade only nodded.
"No regrets. Graham, you shut down for weeks after that. You were terrified of the dark for years. I'm not saying it was the best move... But we were just... So angry."
Dani nodded, rubbing her head.
"That's what we do best... That's when we got mandated Anger Management courses, right?"
Kade nodded, as Graham added,
"I think that's when I got my Autism diagnosis, too."
"Yeah, sounds right."
Kade looked down, his eyes darkening .
"That's how the three of us have always dealt with things, right? Guilt, Anger, pain, we let it fester, bubble up inside until it builds so much, it leaks out on it's own."
Dani and Graham went quiet, looking down as Kade continued.
"... A lot's changed since we were kids. God... That was so long ago, now..."
It all seemed so distant, but still so close.
Three kids laughing, playing.
Three kids protecting one another, ready to fight the world.
Three kids, feeling like all they would ever have is each other.
... So who were they now?
Three adults.
Tired. Cynical. Aware that the world had far worse to offer than childhood bullies.
Three adults that stayed committed to Work, family, and not much else.
... But even then... They couldn't maintain things.
"... Heh... We really suck at the emotion thing, huh?"
Dani gave a melancholic smirk.
".... Well... We've always been boneheads, right?"
Kade chuckled, his shoulders slumping.
"Boneheads, all of us."
Graham smiled softly.
"Yup... We may be boneheads... But we're a family of boneheads, right?"
Dani just nodded, her smile growing.
"And bonehead or no, we take care of each other. Always."
"Always."
"Always."
Kade rubbed his neck, gazing down again.
".... Even if some of us don't really deserve another chance..."
Dani patted his shoulder, her smile smaller, but still present.
"Hey, remember how many chances he gave Blurr? And he dropped the scaffolding right on him!"
"And stole the Sigma."
"And almost let us get hammered by meteors."
"And-"
"OKAY!"
Dani cut it off, but lightly whapped Kade on the shoulder.
"You get it yet? With all that, Cody NEVER gave up on Blurr. Did you really think he'd give up on his brother?"
Kade didn't answer.
He only looked down, then slowly brushed a strand of hair out of Cody's eyes.
"... I wasn't sure. But... I think this family knows a thing or two, about never giving up."
Dani smirked, then reached up, suddenly running a hand through his hair.
"Now you're getting it!"
"Hey, quit it!!"
"Never!"
The trio laughed again, before a small beep caught them off guard.
Graham pulled out his phone, his eyes wide.
"Dad says it's time."
The three nodded, and Dani and Graham stood to leave.
"Wait!"
They turned around, noticing Kade flushing, before he awkwardly motioned to Cody spread out across his legs, effectively leaving him trapped.
"... Little help?"
-
Something seemed.... Off.
Cody slowly sat up, everything seeming to almost... Lag, as it registered.
He looked around, his surroundings suddenly hitting him.
..... He was in his room... In the firehouse... How did he get here?
He stood up from the bed, his head ringing, struggling to focus.
He pushed himself up, then reached towards the door.
"... Hello? Anybody here?"
The halls seemed.... Wrong.
The empty, gaping hallways seemed dark, cavernous.
They seemed to echo with darkness, a hollow void of sorrow.
"Hello?"
But the darkened firehouse was silent.
He walked through, and almost missed it.
He froze, hearing the faintest sound.
Without a second thought, he doubled back, entering the command center.
"Hello? Who-"
He felt himself freeze, his blood running cold.
Sitting in the chair at the monitors,
......him.
His heart threatening to beat out of his throat, he took a step forward.
"... How... What..."
The figure in the chair slowly raised his head, then looked over.
It was... His younger self...
The bomber jacket, the smaller frame,
It was him. It was his eight year old self.
He stared, a shocked awe overtaking him.
"... I..."
The younger Cody only gazed at him, soft eyes briming with dampness.
"... I didn't want to be alone... I just didn't want to be alone..."
"...W-What-"
The younger Cody stood up, a slow, solitary tear trailing down his face.
"Every day they go... And leave me here. They leave me alone. So I sit in here. I "help". But how much help is somebody that just sits in a room, listening to the action outside?"
"I... I helped a lot!"
"Then why did they keep me here?"
Cody was choking on his words, the answer caught in his throat.
Because it wasn't safe.
Because they needed him to handle communications.
Because his problem solving skills were better utilized if he stayed here.
But it all fell flat.
None of it worked.
None of it would satisfy.
The younger Cody's eyes closed, a bitter pain overtaking the young face, clouding the youthful voice.
"We stayed here, because we were never a real part of the team."
His eyes opened, and Cody backed up, feeling his heart stop at the purple glow.
"We stayed here because they never wanted you."
Cody felt ice in his veins, before turning around, looking back out at the doorway.
"No... No, that's not true!"
"If we did as much as they say, why have we never heard it before?"
His eyes fell his the floor, before scowling, trying to tune out the mocking words of his younger self.
"... Okay! Maybe! Maybe I have always worried about my place! But I know it's not true!"
He looked back up, whirling around.
"Kade said-"
Then he paused.
He wasn't in the command center anymore.
The dark walls of the bunker loomed at him, taunting him.
"And when has Kade ever kept his word?"
He turned around, just in time to see another him emerge from the elevator.
The reddish brown jacket, the part of his hair, it was him, but... Well...
It wasn't exactly his current self. But...
It was him... Before.
Before any of this...
His face narrowed, a bitter smirk set in his jaw.
"We've wanted to be like him, our entire lives. We've wanted to be like a lot of people, haven't we? Our siblings, dad, The bots. We've spent our whole lives, trying to live up to everyone that came before. Trying to be good enough. To be smart enough, brave enough, strong enough. To. Be. Enough."
Cody sighed, his hands shaking violently.
"But I am enough! I'm... I'm never going to be like them. And... That's okay."
Only a bitter laugh in response.
"Of course... Kade says a lot of things. But tell me. If he meant it, why have we never heard it before?"
He stalked closer, and Cody could already tell what was going to happen.
"Denial's a bitter pill to swallow. We won't take these lies anymore."
A purple blaze in his eyes broke the darkness.
"We were never enough for anybody, including ourself."
Cody stepped back, before breaking into an absent run.
This wasn't real.
This wasn't real.
He had to-
And then the bunker was gone.
Confusion clawed at him, as he registered the shadowy expanses of the forest, rather than the firehouse.
Everything, from the trees to the grass, felt dead.
A hollow shell of itself.
... Kinda like him, he supposed.
He shook his head as soon as the thought entered him.
No...
No...
He couldn't let those inner thoughts infect him.
After all, they weren't real.
.... Were they?
"Oh Cody... You can't be that dumb."
He whipped around, his heart racing.
"No.... No no no no no not you...."
He knew that tone.
It was tone that made his family back away, eyes stringing with disbelief and horror.
The tone that made the Moor-Bot smirk with pleasure.
The tone that made him afraid to look in a mirror, hating the person he'd see.
He felt his blood freeze, an icy sensation shooting through his veins.
"You know why I'm here. You know why we're both here."
Cody slowly turned, bile raising in his throat.
Him.
The other version of himself, the one that plagued his darkest thoughts, the one that he could never forget.
The purple glow of his eyes illuminated the dark emptiness of the void, an eerie glow showcasing the ethereal void of the forest as he emerged from the shadows.
"It's sad, really. It's sad you actually believed anything anybody said."
Despite the ice in his veins, Cody could only glare.
"Get out of my head. You... You're nothing more than a bad dream."
"Afraid the nightmare's not over."
"Well, I want to wake up. You. Aren't. Real."
He stepped closer, stalking forward, heavy footsteps cutting through the dead forest.
He smirked, an infuriating smugness.
"I'm not leaving. I'm part of you, just like the other two. So tell me one thing."
Cody could only back up, the looming void of the forest seeming to consume more and more by the second.
The other version sneered, practically snarling out,
"You really believe Kade means anything he said?!?! After YEARS of putting up with his GIANT EGO, constantly getting pushed aside, WHY WOULD HE BE DIFFERENT NOW?!?! WHY WOULD ANYTHING BE DIFFERENT NOW?!?!"
"...no... No no no, that's all wrong! I never hated Kade!"
The variant walked forward, his jaw set.
"We always told ourselves that, didn't we? That you could never hate anybody. That your family knows what's best for you, that Kade is supposed to tease you, that's what brothers do. So you pushed it all down. You acted responsible."
"Maybe my family really does know what's best for me. Maybe... I really wasn't ready."
Those purple eyes glimmered, bright as the darkness swallowed all.
"Or maybe you're just too weak to accept that you. Never. Belonged. Here."
"I. Said. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Without thinking, Cody lunged forward, screaming as he threw a punch at the other version.
But he just disappeared.
And then the forest melted away,
And the darkness was consuming.
It clawed and snapped, a living entity of despair, choking his lungs,  blinding his eyes.
He was falling.
He was alone.
"Cody!"
An empty spiral into nothing but a gaping void-
"CODY WAKE UP!"
-
"CODY!"
Cody bolted up, gasping for frantic breaths as his chest heaved, his body trembling.
His ears seemed to ring, sweat beading down his forehead.
"Woah... Cody, are you okay?"
Frankie ran up beside the bed, her eyes wide.
"Hey. Deep breaths, deep breaths."
Cody's eyes were hollow, Haunted.
He rubbed his forehead, fingers clawing underneath the bandages, which were now damp with sweat.
"Hey. Can you hear me?"
His tight breathing hesitated, before he slumped over, a long, slow hiss escaping him.
"... Just a dream... Just... Just a Dream..."
It wasn't real.
It wasn't real.
It wasn't real.
Frankie leaned in, looking at him seriously.
"Talk to me. Are you okay? Do I need to get Doctor McSwain, or Doctor Oliver?"
"No... No..."
He couldn't say he was fine, not really.
"... It was just... Just a dream..."
Frankie only looked at him with concern. 
"... I'm guessing it was more like a nightmare."
"... Something like that..."
She fiddled with her necklace, saying,
"... You were... Screaming, in your sleep. Cody... Are you-"
"Nope. But that's what the therapist's for, right?"
He sighed, then looked around.
"Hey, where's Kade?"
"Oh... Uh, he got called away to... Take care of something important."
"Right..."
His hand shook, the thoughts of the dream nagging at him.
Then, his hand bumped into something.
He looked down, seeing the sweater, bunched up on the bed.
Huh... Looked like he'd been laying on it...
He gathered it up, and quietly held it.
Thinking.
"... Cody, if you want to talk... I'm here. I'm not saying you have to, but... You know I'm here, right?"
Cody raised up the sweater, quietly pulling on.
It was warm, soft. Comforting.
He pulled it on, and gently looked over at Frankie.
"I know. ... Thank you, Frankie. I... I'm really glad you're here."
She smiled softly, nodding.
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
"I know... I know."
Suddenly, a quiet beep drew their attention, and Frankie sat up.
She pulled a tablet out of her bag, and gazed over at Cody.
"I need to show you something."
-
"Alright, take it easy, now. Basic Mode switch."
Heatwave nodded, then gritted his jaw.
"Okay..."
He switched modes, unable to help a gasp of pain.
Ratchet imedianty walked over, his optics narrowed.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... I think... I think it's fine... Just sore. I've felt pretty stiff since waking up."
Ratchet nodded, musing,
"You're probably just adjusting from the surgery. The physical trauma from the injury did extreme damage to your body. We had to completely replace and rebuild a number of components. You should adjust over time, but it won't be easy."
Heatwave switched back, groaning as he nodded.
"Yeah... I promise, everything feels Operational, it's just... Sore."
"That's to be expected. It should fade with time, if you work at it."
"Right, thanks."
Heatwave stretched his joints, groaning some as he walked around.
"Should I take it easy on the Transformations before this goes away, or do I just need to power through it?"
"I'm afraid you'll just need to work through it. Of course, you'll need regular examinations for a while, to be sure it's nothing serious. But if it's just phantom pain, there's really no fix."
Heatwave snorted, stretching out his back.
"Phantom Pain, huh? I feel like Blades would say something about ghosts."
Ratchet was unamused.
"Yes, yes, very amusing. I do hope you understand that as a field medic, I've seen this many times. Phantom pain can often be a symptom of something... deeper."
"What, you mean the wound might be worse than you thought?"
Ratchet only looked at his, his optics softer.
"... In more ways than one. Heatwave... Have you been... Mentally effected, by this injury, in any way?"
Heatwave paused, then sighed.
"... I don't know. I... I feel like I'm fine. Like I should be fine. After all, I'm still functional, aren't I? It... Could've been worse."
Ratchet came closer, his gaze steady.
"In the medical field, it's the smallest impacts that can cut the deepest. And even then, surface wounds can bleed the most. I wouldn't expect an Injury like this to be easily shrugged off."
Heatwave sighed.
"... I don't regret doing what I did. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, y'know? I... I'd do anything, for that kid. Anything. So... When I thought I was dying... I wasn't sad. I was... Content. Because I knew that I did it for him. I knew that when my spark faded... He'd be okay. I looked into his eyes, and I saw him fighting it. I saw him- the real cody- coming back. And that's when I knew it was worth it."
He met Ratchet optic to optic.
"That's when I knew I was okay with dying for him."
Ratchet came closer, grasping his shoulder gently.
"But you had another thought now, didn't you?"
Heatwave looked aside.
"... Kade told me... He's been taking things really hard. That he blames himself. I.. I didn't consider that. I didn't consider him blaming himself for something I did willingly. So now... I just can't stop thinking. I can't stop thinking about how that kid would've had to live with that guilt for the rest of his life. And I know Cody! Even though I'm alright, that guilt is probably Killing him right now. Because slag it, that kid's heart is the biggest of anybody I've ever seen."
Another voice cut through, causing both bots to turn around.
"You were willing to die for him.... but didn't consider that he wouldn't want to live in a world without you."
Optimus strode in, looking oddly sheepish.
For as long as he could remember, Heatwave saw Optimus as infallible, forever maintaining a regal aura of authority.
But now, something was... Different.
He almost seemed... Nervous. On edge.
Heatwave imedianty snapped to attention, but Ratchet stayed about the same.
"Prime, Sir. Is... Is something wrong?"
"No... Nothing's wrong, Heatwave. But... I hope you'll forgive my eavesdropping. I... I understand, that you care quite deeply for Cody Burns. And I have made it clear, that what you have done... Is the most selfless act one could do."
"But sir-"
"Heatwave."
Optimus met his optics, the gentle gaze of his soft blue meeting Heatwave's confused orange.
"We all have our battles. And right now... The battle is within. I cannot say what Cody Burns is currently going through. But he is fighting. And he will keep fighting. I have seen the strength within him many times, as I have seen the strength within you."
Optimus's hand pressed against Heatwave's chest.
It pressed against his spark, grazing the scars deep in his metal.
"You are strong, Heatwave. One of the strongest Sparks I have ever seen. And Cody is one of the strongest hearts I've ever seen. He is battling his demons at a time when he feels the most alone."
Heatwave sighed, his Optics wide.
"So... How do I help him?"
Optimus smiled softly.
"Talk to him. At a time when he feels he is most alone, he must know he is not. But. You must not let your duty consume you. Heatwave. You matter as well. This phantom pain, it cannot fade if you do not let it."
Heatwave sighed, his frame slumping.
"Right... Thank you, sir."
"You are stronger than you realize. You have overcome the impossible. You have changed this world forever. But more important... You have changed his life. He has healed you. And you have healed him."
Heatwave took a deep breath, then nodded.
"Alright. Heh... I told Kade to just talk to him.. guess it's time I take my own advice."
Optimus smiled, then lightly patted his shoulder.
"Heatwave. I need you to come with me for a moment."
"Sir? Why?"
Optimus strode away, and while confused, Heatwave followed.
He hadn't noticed Ratchet leaving, but as they moved rooms, Ratchet was manning the groundbridge.
Heatwave watched the swirling green portal, perplexed.
"Sir, what's going on?"
Optimus only smiled.
"Follow me."
Ratchet smirked from the controls.
"I hope you'll forgive my absence, I've never had a fondness for these type of ordeals."
"Understood, old friend."
Optimus took off into the bridge, and without much option, Heatwave followed.
By the time the bridge ended, heatwave blinked the disorientation out of his sight, even more confused than ever.
They'd arrived in the town square.
A large rectangle had been roped off, and what looked the whole town was... Waiting.
Optimus walked down the middle of the clearing, with Heatwave having no choice but to follow.
Lined up at the end, Kade, Dani, Graham, Boulder, Blades, Chase, Blurr, and Salvage.
"Hey, isn't anybody going to tell me what's going on? I'm getting a little weirded out here..."
Boulder exchanged a smirk with the other bots, before winking at Heatwave.
"Funny, we really thought you'd be happier about this."
"Happier about what?!"
Blades giggled to himself, his optics filled with snark.
"Haven't you been saying since day one, that you want recognition for what you do?"
Agent Fowler and Chief Burns suddenly walked up the front, standing beside Optimus.
Chief Burns cleared his throat, and a hush fell over the crowd.
Agent Fowler held up the leather satchel, a bold smirk on his face.
"Heatwave. In recognition of your services and ongoing duty, today, you are honored."
Chief nodded, continuing,
"In recognition of your heroism in the line of duty, and continued devotion to Griffin Rock and it's people, today, you are honored."
Optimus leaned forward, clasping Heatwave's shoulder, as his nerves melted, Heatwave seeing the nobleness he'd always seen before.
"In recognition of your bravery and devotion to saving lives, and willingness to protect lives at the cost of your own, you are honored today."
Agent Fowler set the bag down on the ground, and together, he and chief Burns pulled out a large, ornately designed metallic object, with a large blue ribbon at it's base, hoisting it up in the air.
"Heatwave of Rescue Force Sigma Seventeen?"
Chief Burns's eyes were brimming with pride.
"By the combined authority of earth and Cybertron, we hereby award you the Medal of honor."
Agent Fowler's smirk grew, adding,
"As well as titling you, the first Cybertronian to have ever received such an honor."
The two men held it out to Optimus, who carefully plucked it from their grasp.
The medal was about the size of a manhole cover, in order to proportion it for Cybertronians.
Optimus carefully draped the ribbon around Heatwave's neck, leaving the medal dangling just above his autobot insignia.
"Heatwave. When you were stationed to this world, I had upmost faith in you. I saw the makings of a truly great bot, albeit a hesitant one. I had hoped you would aid the humans, and that in the process, they might aid you. You have grown tremendously since then. And I could not be prouder."
Heatwave was stunned.
The words seemed to clog his voice box, his speech impaired by his own awe.
His hand trailed the medal, almost needing to feel it believe it was real.
Slowly, he blinked his shock away, truly looking around.
The whole town was watching, cheering. For him.
His team beamed, trading knowing smirks and whispers, the chief looked prouder than he'd ever seen.
Something bubbled up inside.
He glanced over at Optimus, who only nodded.
"Be true to your spark, heatwave."
Heatwave nodded back, then held up a hand.
The crowd quieted, heatwave took a shaky breath.
"If... If I may... when I arrived on this world, so many years ago... I just wanted to leave. I was angry. We'd come out of stasis, just to learn that our planet was dead. The only home we'd ever known, gone. It's not an easy revelation. And I was mad. I resented being stationed here. I thought... I thought this was beneath me. But... But then my spark changed. My priorities completely changed in an instant. Because of one fearless kid, who walked up to me without a second thought."
He couldn't help the bitter smile, the memories flooding into him.
"Primus... That was so long ago now... I didn't want to give earth a chance. I thought I deserved better. But Cody Burns helped me see things clearly. It was because of him, I stayed. It was because of him, I grew. I learned. I learned to love humanity. I've embraced earth as my new home. And now... I can't imagine myself anywhere else."
Heatwave's emotions leaked into his face, his large, choked up smile growing, as a hand pushed the medal aside to clutch his chest feeling his spark pulsing.
"Thank you, Cody. Thank you for Rescuing me."
The crowd's cheers were deafening.
The burns siblings all traded knowing looks, Charlie clapping a hand on Fowler's back, the bots smirking amongst each other.
Heatwave stared out, lost in the moment.
This didn't feel real.
But the beat of his spark grounded him.
And he couldn't believe how far he'd come.
-
Frankie leaned over, wrapping an arm around Cody.
"Pretty amazing, right?"
Cody's eyes were glued to tablet.
His smile was offset by the large tears dripping from his eyes, his eyes wide.
"... Incredible...."
He leaned into Frankie's grasp, his eyes wide with wonder and astonishment.
Look how far they'd come...