Taming Fire (Rescue Bots, Heatwave x Female! Reader)

Chapter Five: Alive

"Engaging transformation sequence." A deep voice rumbled beneath you, startling you awake. You felt as if the ground underneath you was rumbling, shaking as if the earth beneath was rattling in warning.

You weren't on the ground.

You gasped, sitting up and looking around, fear quickly scaring away the haze of sleep that remained. The warm plating underneath you was shifting slightly, as if alive.

Your memories returned in a blink before you placed a hand on the plating underneath you, heart racing a bit too fast for comfort.

"Woah— Hey, wait a minute," You stammered, not knowing how to command the robot or if it had some crazy voice recognition software and wouldn't respond to you. "Uh, fire bot, disengage tr-transformation sequence." You couldn't help the stutter when you were in an uncomfortable situation. Saying the wrong words could always mean some form of punishment, so you learned to be careful of what you said.

To your surprise, the metal beneath your palms settled, the fire truck rocking for a moment before becoming still. You would've felt uneasy at the sudden silence and stillness, were it not for the continuous thrumming inside of the robot.

Swallowing thickly, past your anxiety, you gave the truck a little pat before scooting to the edge of the vehicle and carefully climbing down, your shoes hitting the pavement with a small slap.

You exhaled shakily, subconsciously brushing your fingers along the red metal of the fire truck, pausing when the mirrors squeaked, tilting in your direction. You felt a small smile grace your lips. "You... see me, big guy?"

The metal thrummed a stronger beat and you found it hard to fight another small smile. Getting an idea, you stepped away from the truck and took a long look around the garage. Apparently Kade and Cody had left you alone to sleep on the rescue bot. Weird.

You shrugged, stepping in front of the rescue vehicle. "Alright. Let's see if this works. Fire bot, transform."

Nothing happened for a few seconds. You frowned in confusion and disappointment before a clank clank clank brightened your demeanor.

The vehicle rocked back as the robot transformed, different cogs and gears twisting and spinning into place as the fire bot shifted, raising up to tower above you. With its wheels still spinning, the last of its armor clicked into place with a hiss of hydraulics.

You found your mouth open as you gaped at the robot in awe, finally remembering to close it when stepping back a few steps. It stared down at you under the brim of what seemed to be its fire hat, that same icy visor in place, blocking you out from its eyes. Or whatever robot eyes were called.

Probably shouldn't think about it too hard.

"Woah." A small breath slipped from your lips. The robot almost seemed smug about its own transformation, if that was possible.

You looked around at the garage that remained empty for now and beckoned for the robot to crouch in front of you. It stared at you and you huffed, feeling an odd burst of confidence. It was easier to trust a robot programmed for safety than humans with unpredictable emotions.

"Fire bot, sit." You grimaced at how much it sounded like you were training a dog. The robot stubbornly remained standing and you squinted at it. "Please?"

It begrudgingly sat down with a bone-rattling bang, legs sprawled in an ungainly manner while it waited for another command. This was super weird.

The two of you stared at each other unblinkingly for a few seconds before you looked away, carefully using the robot's knee joint to hoist yourself up onto its upper leg.