Firehoses and Tiny Noses (Rescue Bots Fanfiction)

8. Breaking Down

When Heatwave awoke from stasis, he could feel the difference it had made. Though still achy, the sharp pulses of pain were gone, and his strength was returning.

Unfortunately, he hadn't woken on his own terms. His optics had flown open at the sound of a cry, and he sat up to see Downpour's head resting on the foot of his berth like a sad puppy. Her optics were wide, soft whines escaping her voice box.

The firetruck sighed, getting up from the berth and scooping his daughter up into his arms. "You're gonna be nothing but trouble, I can tell." He informed her as he wiped trails of tears from her cheeks. "You know how I can tell? For one thing, you apparently don't like being anywhere I'm not, and second..." He pointed to the door, "I distinctly remember locking that door."

He then noticed just how quiet it was, and as soon as he opened the door, he found it quiet out in the firehouse as well. No chattering of his teammates, not even their footsteps shaking the floor. "...Hello?" He hollered, tiptoeing out into the main space and searching for clues. "Blades? Chase?... Anyone?"

He found nothing however; nobody in the bunker, the garage, or outside, and even Snowblast was gone from his usual position in the nest. The firetruck then resorted to comms. "Cody, do you copy?"

Hi, Heatwave! You're awake! Cody responded, and Heatwave gave a sigh of relief.

"Where is everyone? The garage and bunker are deserted."

Blades and Boulder went into town to deal with a minor traffic jam, Chase, Blurr, Salvage and Quickshadow were called to assist with an emergency in Crown City, and Snowy is napping up here in the command center with me.

"What kind of emergency? And you didn't bother to wake me to tell me this?"

They left shortly after you went to your quarters, and nobody wanted to wake you when you needed the rest.

"I can't argue with that..."

As for what exactly was going on in Crown City, we didn't get a whole lot of info. Only that there was a lot of damage and the first responders there could use an assist. I imagine the other bots can fill us in when they get back, which shouldn't be too much longer.

"Hmm." Heatwave wandered over to the garage door, looking out over the street. Downpour snuggled her head against his neck with a satisfied purring sound, and he stroked her back as he felt her sparkrate slowing until she was fast asleep. He then carefully moved back into his quarters, laying her down on the berth and pulled the tarp blanket over her.

He tiptoed out of the room and then closed the door, double-checking that she hadn't woken up before heading back out into the garage as he heard Blurr's engine rev. "Welcome back." He greeted, looking at the four bots all covered in dust, dirt and ashes.

"Hmm." Chase muttered as he wandered past him, "I am going to, as the humans say, 'hit the showers'..."

Heatwave watched the police-bot disappear down into the bunker, and then turned back to the remaining trio. "What happened?"

"I swear it wasn't me!" Blurr defended, "But man, you should have seen it, Heatwave. It was like a bomb went off!"

Quickshadow stepped forward, "...It was a Decepticon attack. Bumblebee's team handled the situation, but there was significant damage to partcular structures."

"Any fatalities?"

"Two..." Salvage murmured sadly, "...Chase said it reminded him of something that happened during a mission of yours back on Cybertron...Involving a bar fight."