Prodigal Son

Chapter 33

Quick Author's note: NO I DID NOT DIE.... YET.
Thanks for being so patient, you guys, I am SO SORRY.
In the words of Markiplier:
"Hi. It's me. I'm not dead. Which is an awful surprise considering how many people WROTE MY OBITUARY yesterday."
-

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Probably not, but I needed fresh air."
"Y'know, that's what the window is for."
"But where's the fun in that?"
Frankie rolled her eyes, but kept going.
"You do realize you're gonna get in trouble, right?"
Cody snorted, leaning against Frankie, his right arm thrown over his shoulders, his left gripping a crutch.
"I tried to help an AI take over the world, how much more trouble could I possibly get in?"
Going up the stairs was an arduous process, but the duo solidered on.
"Careful... Careful..."
"I know, I've got it... Mostly..."
Cody bit down on his lip, sharp pangs coming from his calves.
He could feel his bandages rustle against his pant legs, the coarse material creasing with every step up.
His cloth-bound feet nearly slipped on the cold tile, but finally, they reached a door.
Cody grasped the nob, and thrust open the rooftop door, flinching as it collided with the exterior with a loud crash.
"Oops..."
Frankie helped him through the door, smirking as she quipped,
"Woah, easy there, Hercules."
"Oh, ha ha."
Frankie guided him through the doorway, pulling the door closed as they paced around the roof.
The early colors of the morning, even now, were a sight to behold.
They staggered over to the ledge, and Cody gently pulled himself away, resting his weight on the stone barrier rather than Frankie.
They were quiet for a moment, when Cody looked over, smiling.
"You know, you make a pretty good superhero. Better than me, anyway...."
Frankie looked surprised by the comment, jerking her head around.
"Uhh... Where'd that come from?"
"Sorry, sorry. I've just been thinking about it. You were pretty good, out there. Is... Rescue Girl going to stick around?"
"Uh... I don't know."
Frankie sighed, lowering her head.
"... I don't know... Is being a superhero cool? Kinda, yeah. But... I wish it was under better circumstances, y'know?"
"Oh, sorry.... I... Didn't mean to-"
"Dude. What did we say about apologizing?"
"... Not to...."
Cody flushed, and Frankie reached over, shoving him lightly.
"C'mon, you know you're fine. I just... I don't know. I... I feel like... I broke my promise to you."
"... What do you mean?"
Frankie sighed, a Dark look overtaking her.
"... Right... Right before.... Before it happened.... I promised you I'd have your back. But you got taken. All this happened."
Cody turned to meet her, his eyes going wide, his jaw opening in a frown.
"Hey. Listen to me. You did have my back, okay? Frankie, you went above and beyond trying to get me back. I'd call that having my back. You fought a robot five times the size of you!!! You fought me midair on hoverboards!!! And... When I tried pushing everyone away.... You pushed back. I was lost in my head, and you pulled me out."
His hand firmly grasped her shoulder, and a softness overtook his face, his tone growing with a bittersweet pride.
"Frankie.... You saved me. You kept your promise. You went through heck and back, just for me. You're one of the strongest, smartest, most caring, loyal people alive. And... I'm honored to have you in my life."
Slowly,
Frankie's frown morphed, into a small smile.
Her hand, almost of it's own Accord, reached over, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.
"And... You're not as useless as you think you are. You're a lot smarter than you think, C.B. you just... Don't really think things out sometimes. But you do follow your heart. Sometimes, that's harder for me, but it's easy for you."
"I guess it's the head versus the heart, heh."
"Well.... From both a biological and metaphorical standpoint... I think they're best when they work together."
Cody smiled, his checks slowly blushing a deep rose as her hand trailed down his cheek.
"Lucky for us, we're pretty good at working together."
"Yeah... We really are..."
They stood there, frozen for a moment.
Then, Frankie pulled her hand away, and Cody turned red as a beet, both pulling away sharply and looking away.
Cody coughed, and Frankie looked at the ground, struggling to find the words.
"... That was... Kinda awkward, wasn't it?"
".... Little bit..."
Both were quiet, staring at the sky.
The sun started peeking out from behind the clouds, and both just stared, transfixed by the crimson and gold mingling among the sky.
".... Woah..."
"Yeah..."
"... I haven't seen a sunrise in a while. It's pretty."
Cody rubbed his neck, a smile in his eyes.
"... I guess... After... All that... It's nice to just... Enjoy at the small things."
"Yeah... I can understand that. It's nice."
".... Maybe... It's time I just.... Let myself enjoy the little things. Maybe I don't have to think about the bigger picture. Maybe... I can just... Take my time. Take it slow."
"Yeah... I think you should."
The watercolor sky blossomed with rich colors.
".... Do... Do you think... We'll be okay?"
Frankie's hand slid over, her fingers slowly intertwining with his.
She took in the color returning to his cheeks, how the dark circles under his eyes were starting to fade, how his smile was slowly returning.
".... Maybe. I think... I think it's going to take some time. And some work. But... I think... Things might be okay."
"... Things change. Things change a lot. And... That change can be hard. Really hard. But... You can't just live in denial. You can't live in fear. At least... You can't let it control you. Everyone feels fear. But there's a balance."
"Yeah, I get it."
"Good, heh. Wasn't sure if I was making sense. I think my brain's still kinda fried."
"No more than normal."
"Hey!"
Frankie giggled, and Cody just couldn't help but to join in.
As they laughed beneath the rising sun, it was like a weight had been lifted.
-
"Sooo.... You're absolutely sure about this?"
"Probably!"
".... Not reassuring."
Charlie rolled his eyes as he stared over the contract, then glanced back up at Fowler and Woodrow.
"... Are... You-"
Fowler held up a hand, Rolling his eyes.
"I told you yes the first ten times, Charlie. I may not exactly be a spring chicken, but I'm no senior citizen. I've probably seen more disasters than you! Prevented the end of the world once or twice, so, got that on my resume."
Woodrow stared over, his eyes wide.
"... You can put that on-"
"Joke."
"Oh."
Charlie sighed.
Big vote of confidence there....
Woodrow frowned, sensing Charlie's deep rooted hesitation.
"Hey. Brother. Listen. I know this is hard for you. And... I know you don't have a lot of reasons to trust me. But... I know you're used to protecting everyone on your own. I know this is a huge, crazy change. But Charlie... I promise. I won't squander your trust. Never again."
Charlie hesitated, then grabbed Woodrow's shoulder.
"I know. I... I'm sorry. Woody... What you're for us right now.... I... I can't tell you how much it means."
He pointed over at Fowler, adding,
"And you, what you're sacrificing-"
Fowler didn't even let him finish.
"Look. I already told you. I'm basically just the manager at the base, it's been FAR TOO LONG since I've seen this much action! Lemme tell you, I'm almost glad to cash in a few favors, I've been sitting on my keister, bored out of my mind. There's almost no 'Con action nowadays, it's all politics and diplomacy. Flat tire if I'm lucky. So you just listen here. You're gonna take time off, help your boy, go get therapy, AND DAMN IT, YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE IT."
Charlie couldn't help himself, and started laughing.
He took a seat, and slumped over, his head in his hands as his shoulders began shaking, his voice muffled.
"Heh.... You have a point, don't you? Oh god..."
The laughter trailed out, and Charlie's shoulders slumped, his head bowing to the table.
"... Oh lord... I'm so tired... I... I haven't had a true break in so long... Heh... I've almost forgotten what it's like..."
Woodrow silently started rubbing his back, and Fowler only shook his head.
"Y'know, there's a reason I tried having this island marked as a disaster area. Charlie... You gotta ease up. I may be no spring chicken myself, but take it from me. Your ticker won't be able to handle this punishment for much longer."
"I know... Mcswain already gave me the lecture. Nearly gave the kids a heart attack."
Woodrow shook his head, Sighing.
"Charlie... You're afraid of letting us in. I can understand that. But you're not alone. You need to let us help."
".... I'm trying. Lord knows I'm trying."
"We understand, Old friend. Especially given the less than ideal circumstances."
Doc Greene poked his head in, his face stern as he pointed at Charlie.
"However, while I'm sure that vocalizing the sentiment is merely beating a dead horse at this point, I must add, you cannot help others unless you take care of yourself first."
"I GET IT!!"
Doc Greene only smirked, patting his shoulder as he bounded up.
"I just had to be sure. But I also have to ask, what are your plans?"
"I... I'm not sure, yet. Obviously, we need some family time. But there's not much we can do until Cody's discharged."
Doc frowned, but nodded.
"I see... But, I'm sure you'll come up with something."
Charlie nodded, then turned his attention towards the stack of notes in front of him, a small smirk forming on his lips.
"Now, if you're serious about this, you'll need to know the full procedure. I understand that I may not be going at this for much longer, but I can make sure that you know what you're doing."
Woodrow elbowed Fowler, smirking.
"Charlie, Charlie, I was Chief for a week, remember? I talked to Dolphins! I've got this?"
"... Kade also told me you tried to handle a grease fire by dumping the entire truck in sand."
"... In my defense, it's not like I ever went to... I don't know... Fire fighter school? Is that a thing?"
Fowler could only groan.
Not gonna ask... Not gonna ask...
"... Look, I've been wrangling Bots and Humans alike for Decades. Once you've faced down Robo-Satan while trying to rescue an Amnesiac Prime, there's nothing than can shock you anymore."
Charlie only raised an eyebrow.
".... Wanna bet?"
-
"Scenario #1987. Rampaging mechanical bull interrupts a Lad Pioneer Scooter Race. What's the best course of action?"
Woodrow lay facedown on the table, and Fowler's nails raked through his hair, a look of pure confusion on his face.
"... Civilian Evac, then smash it?"
Charlie shook his head, Doc only chuckling behind him.
"Not even the Bots can handle it, it's too strong to take out with brute force. And Heatwave just makes it mad, red and all. The correct solution would be to trigger it's cool-down systems by showing it blue."
"But... The color thing is just a myth!"
"Well, whoever programmed the bull apparently didn't know that."
"... WHY IS THIS TOWN SO WEIRD?!?!?!"
Charlie only laughed.
"I tried to warn you..."
Fowler groaned, falling back in his chair.
"Oh... This is cosmic intervention... This is punishment for every time I ever complained about Miko's antics.... This is worse than Miko... I didn't think anything could ever be worse than Miko... I was wrong... Good lord I was wrong..."
Doc Greene was practically turning blue from laughter, and Charlie couldn't help a grin.
"THIS is why I kept asking if you were sure."
Fowler buried his head in his hands.
"... I might need to revise my answer."
-
The crutch clattered down the hall, Frankie glancing around with paranoia.
"C'mon, c'mon, somebody's gonna see you!"
"Frankie, it was just the roof. It's not a big deal."
Frankie sighed, helping him maneuver down the hall.
"You say that now..."
"... Is this about what dad said? About the ice cream?"
"... It's fine."
"Frankie, I'll talk to him."
"No, it's fine. He's just stressed."
"Yeah, because of me. Frankie, that's not an excuse to take it out on others. After all... I was doing the same, wasn't I?"
Frankie helped him maneuver to the door, and she grabbed the nob.
"... Let's just... Drop it, okay?"
She thrust the door open, helping Cody.
"Now, I just hope nobody-"
"Nice morning for a stroll?"
Frankie froze, and Cody cringed.
.... So much for that...
Kade was seated casually in a chair, his eyes narrowed at the door.
"And where were you two?"
Cody pulled forward, moving in front of Frankie.
"Hey, Kade, it was my idea, Frankie tried talking me out of it. We just went to the roof, okay? I wanted some air."
"You do realize there's a window, right?"
"Everybody keeps saying that..."
"What's going on?"
Cody cringed, recognizing his dad's voice behind him.
Frankie had a similar reaction, and tensed up, quickly guiding Cody over to the bed.
"Uh... Chief Burns... I can explain..."
Kade sighed, elaborating,
"These two snuck up to the roof."
"KADE!"
"NOT COOL!"
Kade sighed, rubbing his forehead.
I came in, nobody was here. Turns out, Doctor Mcswain saw them taking a little field trip."
Charlie sighed, watching as Cody awkwardly sat down, his face red as a strawberry.
"Dad, it's not a big deal. I just wanted some air."
"You do realize there's-"
"YES I KNOW THERE'S A WINDOW"
Cody looked away, and sighed, squeezing his hands together.
Charlie glanced over at Frankie, and his face softened.
"Frankie, can I have a word with you, please?"
"... Okay..."
Frankie looked a bit tense, but followed, Cody watching her step outside with guilty eyes.
"Dad, i-"
"Cody. Just wait a minute, alright?"
Cody sighed, watching his dad follow Frankie into the hall, then close the door.
He was quiet for a moment, then glared at Kade.
"Snitch."
"Hey!"
"You sold me out! It's not like I left the building, technically!"
"Cody, you're not supposed to leave the room."
Cody groaned, a deep breath hissing out.
"How many times have I covered dumb stuff for you?"
"This isn't a broken mug, or spilled paint! I'm worried about you, okay?!"
Cody sighed, his hands fiddling with the hem of the yellow sweater.
"... I'm not made of Glass, Kade. I know things are rough right now... But you can't just keep me on a leash."
"... I know... I'm sorry. I just..."
Kade sighed, rubbing his hands together.
"... I was scared I'd never see you again. I guess it's a little hard to turn that off."
Cody's glare softened, and he sighed, flopping back on the bed.
"... I'm just... Frustrated. I guess I just... Wish I could do stuff for myself again. I need help just standing up."
"... You're allowed to be frustrated. But you also can't run off like that."
"... I know..."
Kade slowly leaned over, nudging his shoulder.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Cody sat back up, his fingers twitching as his hand drifted towards his neck.
"... I don't know... I guess... I knew it was a dumb idea... But I just wanted to. I knew I'd probably get in trouble, but I just didn't care. Now I feel like a jerk because I got Frankie in trouble AGAIN."
"... You wanted to feel normal again, didn't you?"
"... Kinda..."
Kade's hand drifted to his forehead, the same place his head had been slammed into the rock back in the tunnel.
The heavier bandages had been removed, with only minor coverings over the wound.
He glanced at Cody's forehead, at the bandages in the same place.
"... I know it's confusing. You just... Want to act without thinking about it, huh?"
"... I guess..."
"... Look. You've already talked about it before, so... It's okay to say, it felt good being evil. Not having limits. Getting to go nuts."
"... But I don't don't like it. Not now. I know it's wrong. It feels wrong now. And it's not like I'm trying to act out or anything. I just..."
"You're frustrated. You're allowed to be. It's a hard situation."
"... I just... Why is this so hard?"
Kade sighed, then bumped his shoulder again.
"... Because I rubbed off on you, bud."
"... But that's why we're in therapy, right?"
Kade snorted, and lightly shoved Cody, a sense of relief washing over him as he noticed his small smile.
"... Just take it one day at a time. That's all we can do, really."
"Yeah... One day at a time..."
Kade frowned.
He knew that tone...
"Okay, what else?"
Cody glowered at the ground.
"... It's dumb."
"C'mon, bro, talk to me."
Cody only sighed, staring at the ceiling.
"... I... I'm done, aren't I?"
"... Done?"
Cody's jaw cemented into a scowl.
"... Even if I can recover from this... That's it, isn't it? I'm officially off the team, aren't I?"
Kade groaned.
"... I don't know. I mean, if you haven't noticed, none of us are exactly on the team right now."
"I know, I know. But.... Kade. I... I don't want to loose this. Do I need a break? Yes! Do I need a couple more years of therapy? Absolutely! But... Is this over? Could you honestly say you want me back out there, after everything?"
Kade's hands knotted together, his nerves spiking.
Where was Frankie when you needed her...
He could see Cody retreating back into his head, back into that dark space he'd created.
He grabbed Cody's shoulder, a deep sigh rippling through him.
"... No. I don't."
Cody only looked deflated, his fist clenching together.
"But that's not my call. It never was. You're your own person, Cody. You know what you want."
Cody's frown morphed. Rather than frustration, he was... Confused.
"Cody... I have no doubt that at some point or another, you'll be back out there. You'll be back out helping people, giving us heart attacks, leading circles around us. Why? Because whether I like it or not, it's what you are made for. You've always been drawn to it, like a moth to flame. In more than one sense... But. I don't know Jack, okay? What happens next isn't up to me. But we can worry about the future later, alright? Right now... I just want you to think about the here and now. Don't worry about what comes next. Worry about what you want right here in the moment."
Cody ran his hands over the fuzzy yellow fabric of the sweater.
"... Right here and now..."
Cody sighed, but it wasn't weighed down.
He sighed somberly, but a smile tugged at his lips.
"Sounds like what Frankie was saying."
"Well, she's right. Which I guess makes me right too, but, I always am, so no surprise there."
Cody snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Sure you are..."
Kade smirked, but nodded.
"... We'll figure it out as it happens, okay?"
"... Okay."
-
Frankie nervously fiddled with her hands, reluctance etched into her as she followed the chief down the hall.
"... I'm sorry. I know it was dumb, and I totally shouldn't have helped him sneak out like that. It was a really bad idea, and i-"
"Frankie."
He stopped, and his shoulders slumped as a deep sigh escaped him.
"... Frankie... I am so, so sorry. The other day... I took my anger out on you. I was scared, and I projected that onto you. No adult should ever do that to a child. Or anybody, really."
A shallow breath escaped her, and she felt some of her tension release.
"... Oh..."
Charlie's eyes were rimmed with guilt, his hand running through his hair.
".... Frankie, you didn't deserve that in the slightest. I was completely out of line."
".... If I'm being honest, it did kinda hurt."
He sighed, and knelt down, grasping her shoulder lightly.
"Frankie, sorry doesn't feel like it's enough. You... You've been going above and beyond, helping Cody. We couldn't get him to talk or let anybody in. That was all you. Since... Since all of this started, you've been so... Resilient. Tenacious. None of this would've happened without you. And.... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not acknowledging that."
He closed, his eyes, trying to think for a moment.
He didn't know what else to say.
Then her arms wrapped around him, and his eyes opened in surprise.
Frankie gave him a soft, gentle hug. She sighed, then nodded, a bittersweet smile on her lips.
"Apology accepted."
".... Thank you."
Charlie could only sigh, feeling a sense of relief washing over him.
Frankie pulled away, and he he stood up, trying not to wince as he felt a pop in his back.
"Ah, there you are!"
Both glanced down the hall, seeing Doc Greene, Agent Fowler, Woodrow, and Agent Raphael all marching down the hallway.
Charlie glanced back at Frankie, then addressed the group.
"Dani and Graham should be here soon, we need to wait for them. Head on in, I'll join you in a moment."
The four nodded, and Frankie, confused, asked,
"Wait, what's going on?"
Charlie rubbed his neck, nerves twinging at him.
".... We have.... An announcement."
-
Cody nervously shifted around on his bed.
Honestly, it was pretty crowded in here.
He wasn't used to this many people in his room, usually they took turns.
But this time, a whopping thirteen people had crowded into the room, and he could see the Bots peering in through the window.
Heatwave shot him a pointed look, and Cody only shrugged.
"Alright, people."
Everyone snapped to attention, and all eyes (and Optics) quickly became trained on Charlie.
"Okay... As you all know, the primary members of the rescue team have all been medically grounded, until further notice."
There were some grumblings of affirmation, as well as nervous glances between Cybertronians.
"As much as we all need some time to recover, we can't exactly leave Griffin Rock unprotected in the meantime. So... We have some... Volunteers."
As if on cue, Woodrow practically started vibrating, pumping his arms and bouncing around on his feet, before grabbing and shaking Fowler and Raphael.
"REPLACEMENT RESCUE TEAM REPORTING FOR DUTY!!!!"
Dead silence grasped the room.
Cody made contact with the Cybertronians, who appeared to be just as stunned as the humans.
Everyone slowly looked around, taking in each other's reactions, before giving a short, unanimous reply.
".... W H A T?!?!"