Wild Ride (Cyberverse Mech!reader X Hot Rod)

39: So Below

"What's his status, Ratchet?" Hot Rod asked as he once again poked into the medical wing to check on me.

"Same as before Hot Rod. I'm working on giving him a temporary leg and hand, but it's proving to be a bit more difficult than Perceptor and I anticipated." Ratchet then glanced over to my shattered frame that was hooked up to a spark support system, my chassis slowly rising and falling with each assisted vent. "That Scientist freak tore him to pieces. Hopefully, when this is all over, I can get him actual parts rather than these temporary ones."

"Just... will he be okay?"

"Like I said the last time you checked in. He will recover, but until I can get his systems repaired and his temporary limbs installed, he has to remain on spark support and in stasis. Now shoo and see if Wheeljack can lend me a hand with this. He's a bit more clever with gerryrigging than I am." Hot Rod nodded and went off to find Wheeljack while Ratchet returned to my stasis locked form. He then grabbed one of his welding tools and the rather crude 3 clawed hand he had constructed, carefully removing the almost digitless palm of my current hand and installing the new one. "That takes care of that part. Now let's get to putting your arms back together.

For a while, Ratchet worked on welding my armor pieces together that would unfortunately leave massive weld marks behind when Wheeljack entered with Hot Rod and Perceptor.

"Whoa. You weren't kidding when you said he was torn apart." Wheeljack said.

"I managed to get his hand installed, but I'm having difficulties with his leg. I'm not used to working on flyers." Ratchet said as he finished sealing my armor pieces together. While the trio of science bots got to work on figuring out how to wire my leg, Hot Rod ended up next to my form with his hand gently holding mine. My optics slowly opened at the touch, and I gave him a small smile of reassurance before falling back into stasis.

Thankfully, with all 3 scientists working together, they were able to construct a temporary leg suitable for a flyer, and I was now repaired. Well, as repaired as one could be for the current circumstances.

"Okay, leg is installed, vitals are holding, let's wake him up." Ratchet said. Carefully, the medic disconnected me from spark support, and the air grew tense with anticipation. Slowly but surely, my optics opened as I came to, Hot Rod, letting out the biggest sigh of relief I've ever heard from him.

"Thank the Allspark." He breathed as he gently cupped the side of my head.

"You sound like you missed me." I teased with a smirk, Hot Rod's face turning to that of flustered adorableness.

"Let him rest Hot Rod." Ratchet said.

-----
"Ratchet, I'm fine." I grumbled as the medic poked and prodded me yet again. "I need to go and join the battle! They need me!"

"Y/D, I've told you this a hundred times already. You are not in fighting condition and won't be for a while."

"If I can stand, then I can fight." I huffed as I stood from the medical berth with a slight wobble before stabilizing. "See?"

"I swear you are the most stubborn bot I've ever had to work on!"

"So.... you'll let me go fight?"

"NO! Now sit your aft down and let me finish. Then you can leave the med bay, but no combat!"

"Okay, CARRIER, sheesh." I huffed as I reluctantly complied.

Once Ratchet was done, I managed to make my way out of the medical wing and down into the lower sections of the titain where I spotted Skullcruncher napping in a corner. He must have heard my steps because he lifted his massive head and came trotting up to me, his big goofy head nudging into me. I sat down and allowed him to use my thighs as a pillow. He could tell something was wrong and was giving me a strangely worried expression.

"I'll be okay." I said as I scratched his snout. "Ratchet, Perceptor, and Wheeljack fixed me up as best they could. Still can't move my hand much, but that's okay." I then rested the back of my head on a nearby pole and sighed with annoyance. "I just wish I could be out there fighting instead of being stuck here."

Skullcruncher looked up at me and nuzzled my tanks with a small whine, bringing my attention back to him. I gently stroked his head, and he let out a low rumble similar to a pur, a small smile crossing my face.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Everything will be fine. Every..." My voice trailed off as a dark thought entered my mind. "What if... what if they get hurt? Or worse.... what if someone gets killed? Oh, Primus! What if Hot Rod gets hurt?"

"He will be fine." Macadam said as he came over to Skullcruncher and I. "Things may not exactly go as planned for the others, but they will come out of it in one piece. But we should hurry. I believe Windblade is about to try something very risky." Macadam climbed up Skullcruncher, and I followed suit, the metallic crocadilian rushing through the halls at insane speeds. The floor and ceiling began to shift and rumble, parts that had been stationary for eons now moving and grinding.

"Is she crazy?!" I exclaimed as we continued to ride through the everchanging corridors. "She'll hurt herself!"

"That's why we have to stop her!" Macadam said. Skullcruncher then lept into the main chamber where Windblade was crying out in agony. "Throw me!" I picked Macadam up and chucked him at Windblade, the older bot tackling her to the ground with a crash.

"Windblade!" I called as I hopped off Skullcruncher and stumbled my way over to her. "Is she okay?"

"She will be." Macadam said. Windblade let out a soft groan as her optics opened. "I've lost too many city speakers this way. I'm not about to let another one fall."

"I'm sorry..." Windblade said as she stiffly sat up. "You were right, Y/D. Controlling this titain is beyond anything I could have imagined."

"Least you're okay." I said with a small smile. "We should head back and check on the others."

"Agreed." Windblade said. As she and I went to leave, I turned around to ask Macadam if he was coming, only to see that he and Skullcruncher were both gone.

'Curious buggers aren't you.'