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ajremixAlmost 3000 words for a pre-schooler's show, what the hell me (seriously though- this may be my favorite transformers cartoon). Using a concept I've played around with in other 'verses but it seemed fitting to me so why not. Title from To The Moon because I recently replayed it and couldn't think of a title.
(whatever happened to writing short things, anyway?)
Title: Everything's Alright
Fandom: Transformers: Rescue Bots
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2927
Characters: Rescue Bots, Burns family
Summary: The Burns family find out about one of Cybertron's less savory practices thanks to Heatwave's mouth.
In an effort to be as inclusive as possible the Rescue Bots refrained from speaking in Cybertronian when in a human's presence. They really didn't have anything to say that couldn't be shared with any of their partners so none of the Autobots were bothered by the restriction and only used their native language when simple words were inefficient.
Or when they had something to argue about.
Kade flopped on to the human-sized sofa next to the Cybertronian-sized one, watching Blades and Cody play some kind of game. "Are Mom and Dad fighting again?"
Graham didn't even look away from the board of math scribbles Boulder was helping him with. "They seem to be arguing a lot recently." Then again, considering how often Heatwave and Chase argued before, even once a week was quite a jump.
"Ugh, I hate when they argue," Blades said, body jerking side to side as if that would help him keep up with Cody's character, "because it almost never happens but whenever it does, they both have good points and you never know who ends up being right until it's all over."
"Yeah well, if I know my arguing- and I do know my arguing," Kade's head arched over the back of the sofa to watch the two Autobots in terse discussion on the other side of the bunker, "it's gonna come to a head some time soon."
"What are they even arguing about?" Cody asked.
Blades and Boulder shifted, sending each other uncomfortable looks, "Heatwave is... taking some issue with our cover."
Kade lifted his head to blink at the bulldozer, "What again? I thought he was over that!"
"Ever since Professor Baranova found out, he's convinced that if the rest of the island knew, they wouldn't care. But Chase says it's not their call to make and, well, they've been going back and forth about contacting Optimus Prime about it."
"Like I said, both have good points but it's very annoying hearing the same ones over and over aga-"
Blades and Boulder suddenly snapped their heads around, staring in shock and when the humans looked over, Heatwave had the look of someone who realized they royally screwed up. "Chase," he switched to English, hand held out like trying to calm a frightened animal, "wait, I didn't mean-"
The police car did a stiff about-face and marched just as stiffly to the elevator. Not a minute later, the smaller elevator descended and Dani and Charlie walked in asking, "Is there a reason Chase nearly mowed us down in the driveway?"
That seemed to snap everyone into action with Blades jumping off the couch and launching into a furious Cybertronian rant, Heatwave turned and banged his head against the nearest wall and Boulder looked torn between wanting to reassure the humans and going after Chase. Charlie gave his sons a bewildered yet stern look, "What happened?"
"We honestly have no clue."
Dani went up to her partner, waving her hands and yelling at him, "English, Blades! English!"
Impressively he managed the switch without a break in his tirade, "-believe you said that to him! You! To Chase! What is wrong with you?!"
"Okay, while seeing Blades rip Heatwave a new one is pretty entertaining," Kade turned to kneel on the sofa, arms crossed over the back, "what just happened?"
"What happened," even Boulder's gentle rumble verged on angry, "was Heatwave really put his foot in it."
"More like both feet and an arm," Blades added. "Or just his entire self. He's in it so deep he can't even see the surface!"
"Now that that idiom has proven to be useless," Dani rubbed at Blades's foot in an attempt to soothe, "can someone actually explain what happened?"
Heatwave pushed himself away from the wall, "What happening is I'm going to find Chase."
"No," Charlie stepped in his way, "no one is going anywhere. Least of all you."
"With all due respect, Chief-"
"If you respect me, you'll heed my advice."
"I've been alive longer than your entire species even existed. I think I can make my own decisions."
"And I'm a single parent of four, I've learned to tell when someone needs some time alone." Charlie crossed his arms, raising a dark brow, "You both need time to cool down, I'm betting it was your temper that made you say whatever you did."
Heatwave grumbled and growled through his engine, arms crossed and looking tense but relented. He'd been subjected to Charlie's 'Dad Voice' before and knew there was no way to beat it. No matter what the age difference.
"What did you say?" Asked Cody.
When no answer was forthcoming, Blades said with a sneer, "He called Chase an automaton."
"I did not!" The reflexive bite quickly filtered out into shame, "I... told him to stop acting like one."
"Yeah, because that makes a big difference."
"Alright," Graham waved his hands, trying to keep the discussion on track, "that does seem pretty mean, but is there some context we're missing? Chase's reaction seems a bit much if it was just an insult."
The Autobots looked at each other. "I don't know if we should tell you," Heatwave said slowly. "It's not really our place to say."
"Oh- now you care about Chase's feelings."
"Blades," Charlie stared down the helicopter, "you're not helping. And since this is something that's obviously effecting the entire team, I think we should know about it."
"It's just," Heatwave rubbed at his helmet, "it's really personal. Chase doesn't like talking about it for good reason-"
Boulder cut in, "He says we can tell them. They should know since they're our partners."
"Wait- you commed him?"
"Sure. I'm not the one who upset him."
Dani's eyebrow arched, "Wow. That must've been pretty bad if even Boulder is getting shots in."
The firetruck heaved a sigh, "Yes, alright? I fornicated the dog or whatever."
Charlie gave his eldest a look. "What?" Kade had his hands up defensively, "I'm not the only one on the island that uses euphemisms! It's not even a bad one, either."
"Alright, well, if we're going to talk about this you have to know a bit about Cybertronian physiology," Blades stood tall and important, gesturing for the humans to get comfortable. "This is going to be a crash course, though, so keep all questions for another time.
"Sparks are the essence of a Cybertronian- it's our personalities and ambitions and the very core of who we are. So if my spark got transplanted into another body, it'll still be me and still act like me, even if the brain module belonged to someone else. The brain module will influence me- it might change the way I prioritize reactions, access data or even adapt to situations, but it'll still be me. Like if someone had their brain transplanted into another body- still them, but the limitations of the body influences how they act."
"Okay, I think we're following you so far," Charlie spoke on behalf of his family. Graham was visibly clenching his jaw to keep from asking questions.
"Neural engineering is extremely tricky, unlike biological beings, our neural pathways aren't genetically constructed, they have to be manually created. That takes a lot of time and skill, so our best scientists got together to create templates to work off of, though everyone is tailored based on their purpose or circumstances of their creation."
"It's why a lot of 'bots tend to have similar personality traits across shared frames," Boulder added. "Well, if you knew more of us anyway. It's why jets tend to be insular, or those built for speed being impulsive and medics tend to be worriers. The way the traits manifest differs based on spark-personality, but if you know what a 'bot is built for, you generally have a good idea about what they'll prioritize."
"Of course the scientists like experimenting with different ways to code a brain module. All in the name of progress and all," Blades looked like the phrase left a bad taste in his mouth. "Not all of the experiments ended badly, but there's one they keep retrying, even though the 'bots that come out of it tend to have more issues than the ones that don't. They keep trying to make military and law enforcement officers more efficient by making them 'more objective' aka dampening their ability to feel and express emotions."
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Kade would've jumped to his feet if he didn't have Cody in his lap. "Are you telling me some jerk-offs emotionally castrated Chase?"
"More like emotionally truncated," Boulder corrected. "Emotions come from the spark so they can't be blocked. They can, however, be given an extremely low priority so they're more difficult to be triggered or accessed."
Charlie's fingers were drumming rough and heavy against the arm of the sofa, "So these scientists were basically trying to turn 'bots like Chase emotionless because they thought emotions get in the way of enforcing rules? That having empathy for those they're trying to protect or serve with was making their officers inefficient?"
"Basically. A lot of those 'bots tend to develop problems like anxiety, obsessive behavior, unhealthy perfectionist tendencies. After a while, neural engineers go back to using standard templates."
"But sometimes one of those 'bots gets to a position of power," Blades jumped in, "like Prime's head tactician or chief of security and then it'll start all over again because none of the scientists care about what kind of mental turmoil they put on anyone, they just want their results."
"When we said you'd have to teach Chase what fun meant," Boulder's smile was bitter and twisted, "we weren't joking. It takes him a long time to understand certain abstract concepts. If he ever gets them at all."
"And it's not just their own awareness that they have to deal with. Cybertronians are like humans- we'll find just about any reason to discriminate against others and this is no different. They call 'bots like Chase 'sparkless', 'mindless', 'drones'," Blades shot Heatwave a dark look, "'automatons'."
The humans gave Heatwave looks of various degrees of hurt and anger. "You knew all this, didn't you?"
"Of course he knew! Him and Chase were partners long before me or Boulder joined up. Haven't you picked up on how protective he gets over Chase? He can be as bad as Kade with Cody sometimes- Heatwave probably got into a fight at least once a month because someone slurred Chase during training."
"And you said that to him?" Kade looked disgusted. "You screwed up so bad they'll have to invent new ways to measure it."
Heatwave bristled, "I don't wanna hear that from you."
Nudging Cody from his lap, Kade planted his feet and squared his shoulders, staring down his much larger partner. "Okay, look- I enjoy being a jerk but I make sure the people I care about know how to tell me when I need to tone it down. And I know there are some things that you never, ever say, even in anger. And that was definitely one of them."
"I know that! That's why I need to go find him!"
"You need to let Chase calm down on his own," Charlie ordered. "Apologies aren't about what you want. When he's ready to hear it, he'll be back, but if you try to force it beforehand you'll just make it worse."
Heatwave snarled in frustration, pacing the length of the bunker in long, angry strides as his engine growled. "Dad," Cody asked, "do you think Chase will be okay? I mean, he was pretty upset."
"I trust Chase to keep a level head, even when he's upset. And if anything happened, I know he's responsible enough to contact us."
"I am grateful for your faith, Chief Burns. And your concern is appreciated, Cody, though no longer necessary."
Everyone scrambled to their feet, swarming Chase as he stepped out of the underground tunnel back into the bunker. "You're back! Are you okay? Are you still upset? Is there anything we can do?"
He held up a hand, causing the crowd to fall silent. "Please. Thank you for your empathy. I am sorry if my actions caused you undue worry."
"It's not like that was your fault."
As one, everyone turned to Heatwave. He shifted his weight, looking shockingly small. "Yeah, uh... can we... talk somewhere else?"
"Negative." The finality of the word seemed to make Heatwave stall and Chase went on, "If you wish to apologize, I think it would be best for everyone to hear it. They are aware of the severity of my issue and it apparently has effected the entire team. Therefore they should also witness and be satisfied with the resolution in order to keep the team working in a seamless and efficient manner."
Heatwave sighed, head bowed and fists balled at his sides. When he looked up, his optics were weary and contrite. "I'm sorry, Chase. What I said- I know better than that, and even if I didn't mean to say it, that doesn't make it okay. I just... I hate that we have to act like this. I especially hate watching you act like that because I remember what you had to put up with- I remember what I made you put up with! You're not a machine and every time someone acts like you are, talks about you like you can't hear them, leans on you like you're some prop, it makes my energon boil. You're so much better than that, but none of them care enough to give you a chance. Just like I almost didn't." He looked away again, jaw clenched in shame. "It doesn't excuse what I said and I'm sorry."
"I forgive you."
Heatwave jerked back in shock. "What? You can't just forgive me!"
"Is it not my prerogative to forgive how and when at my discretion?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Then I forgive you. In our long partnership, you have been a good friend to me."
"That doesn't make it alright for me to say those kind of things to you!"
Chase held up a hand, quieting the red 'bot. "No. It does not. However, after extensive thinking, I have come to the conclusion that I have not been as proactive as I should be. It is very easy for me to follow orders. Between yourself and Chief Burns, I rarely feel it necessary to assert myself and I realize that makes me... complacent. If I wish to improve- as a rescuer and an Autobot and for my own self -I need to force myself out of my comfort zone." A smile, slight but there, curved at Chase's mouth. "And you have always been good at dragging me out of my comfort zone."
"I," air huffed out of Heatwave's vents, relief temporarily putting him off balance. "I'd be honored to help you out. Always am."
Chase held out a hand. "Partners?"
Heatwave took it with a wide grin, "Always."
"I believe I owe you an apology as well, Chase."
He look down in surprise. "Chief Burns? Whatever do you mean?"
The man stood with his hands on his hips, a crease of regret between his brows. "I hadn't realized what you'd gone through and the way I've acted- cover or not -may have upset you. Both of you," he nodded at Heatwave. "I promise, rather than giving you orders, to make requests and no more calling you 'robot' or 'police bot'."
"I... that is incredibly kind of you, Chief. I would greatly appreciate it, thank you."
Dani put her hand to Chase's leg, "Same here."
"Me, too."
"Yeah!"
"And if we mess up and say something that upsets you, let us know."
"Thank you, Dani, Graham, Cody, Kade. I truly am fortunate to have your understanding and cooperation."
"Eeeeee- okay, I need to hug someone right now!" Obligingly Chase held out an arm and Blades hugged his side. "I'm so glad this all worked out!" He looked at Heatwave, "And I am no longer mad at you."
"Same." Said Boulder, hand on Chase's back. "To both parts."
"But you know, it's so strange," Graham shook his head, "I never thought Cybertron could be a bad place. A planet filled with such advanced technology and to have 'bots like you guys and Optimus and Bumblebee, the possibility that it had these deep seeded problems never even entered my head."
"It's not like humans invented jerks," Blades told him with a bit of a tease.
"Why do you think we're fighting a war?" Heatwave crossed his arms over his windshield. "It wasn't because we got bored."
"You said the Decepticons started it, didn't you? Did they have a legitimate reason?" Dani asked.
The Autobots exchanged glances and Heatwave told her, "That depends on your point of view. I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that we had a lot of problems that needed to be worked out. But the answer wasn't how Megatron did it."
"Cybertron's history has always had... troubling parts, even during the Golden Age," admitted Chase. "I would hate for that to shadow your view of our planet and us."
"Gotta take the good with the bad," Charlie said. "That's what you did for us, right? If learning about your history helps us get closer to you and helps us treat you better, then all the more reason to do it."
Boulder beamed down at the humans, knowing he spoke for the Rescue Bots when he said, "We'll be happy to answer whatever questions you have!"
(whatever happened to writing short things, anyway?)
Title: Everything's Alright
Fandom: Transformers: Rescue Bots
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2927
Characters: Rescue Bots, Burns family
Summary: The Burns family find out about one of Cybertron's less savory practices thanks to Heatwave's mouth.
In an effort to be as inclusive as possible the Rescue Bots refrained from speaking in Cybertronian when in a human's presence. They really didn't have anything to say that couldn't be shared with any of their partners so none of the Autobots were bothered by the restriction and only used their native language when simple words were inefficient.
Or when they had something to argue about.
Kade flopped on to the human-sized sofa next to the Cybertronian-sized one, watching Blades and Cody play some kind of game. "Are Mom and Dad fighting again?"
Graham didn't even look away from the board of math scribbles Boulder was helping him with. "They seem to be arguing a lot recently." Then again, considering how often Heatwave and Chase argued before, even once a week was quite a jump.
"Ugh, I hate when they argue," Blades said, body jerking side to side as if that would help him keep up with Cody's character, "because it almost never happens but whenever it does, they both have good points and you never know who ends up being right until it's all over."
"Yeah well, if I know my arguing- and I do know my arguing," Kade's head arched over the back of the sofa to watch the two Autobots in terse discussion on the other side of the bunker, "it's gonna come to a head some time soon."
"What are they even arguing about?" Cody asked.
Blades and Boulder shifted, sending each other uncomfortable looks, "Heatwave is... taking some issue with our cover."
Kade lifted his head to blink at the bulldozer, "What again? I thought he was over that!"
"Ever since Professor Baranova found out, he's convinced that if the rest of the island knew, they wouldn't care. But Chase says it's not their call to make and, well, they've been going back and forth about contacting Optimus Prime about it."
"Like I said, both have good points but it's very annoying hearing the same ones over and over aga-"
Blades and Boulder suddenly snapped their heads around, staring in shock and when the humans looked over, Heatwave had the look of someone who realized they royally screwed up. "Chase," he switched to English, hand held out like trying to calm a frightened animal, "wait, I didn't mean-"
The police car did a stiff about-face and marched just as stiffly to the elevator. Not a minute later, the smaller elevator descended and Dani and Charlie walked in asking, "Is there a reason Chase nearly mowed us down in the driveway?"
That seemed to snap everyone into action with Blades jumping off the couch and launching into a furious Cybertronian rant, Heatwave turned and banged his head against the nearest wall and Boulder looked torn between wanting to reassure the humans and going after Chase. Charlie gave his sons a bewildered yet stern look, "What happened?"
"We honestly have no clue."
Dani went up to her partner, waving her hands and yelling at him, "English, Blades! English!"
Impressively he managed the switch without a break in his tirade, "-believe you said that to him! You! To Chase! What is wrong with you?!"
"Okay, while seeing Blades rip Heatwave a new one is pretty entertaining," Kade turned to kneel on the sofa, arms crossed over the back, "what just happened?"
"What happened," even Boulder's gentle rumble verged on angry, "was Heatwave really put his foot in it."
"More like both feet and an arm," Blades added. "Or just his entire self. He's in it so deep he can't even see the surface!"
"Now that that idiom has proven to be useless," Dani rubbed at Blades's foot in an attempt to soothe, "can someone actually explain what happened?"
Heatwave pushed himself away from the wall, "What happening is I'm going to find Chase."
"No," Charlie stepped in his way, "no one is going anywhere. Least of all you."
"With all due respect, Chief-"
"If you respect me, you'll heed my advice."
"I've been alive longer than your entire species even existed. I think I can make my own decisions."
"And I'm a single parent of four, I've learned to tell when someone needs some time alone." Charlie crossed his arms, raising a dark brow, "You both need time to cool down, I'm betting it was your temper that made you say whatever you did."
Heatwave grumbled and growled through his engine, arms crossed and looking tense but relented. He'd been subjected to Charlie's 'Dad Voice' before and knew there was no way to beat it. No matter what the age difference.
"What did you say?" Asked Cody.
When no answer was forthcoming, Blades said with a sneer, "He called Chase an automaton."
"I did not!" The reflexive bite quickly filtered out into shame, "I... told him to stop acting like one."
"Yeah, because that makes a big difference."
"Alright," Graham waved his hands, trying to keep the discussion on track, "that does seem pretty mean, but is there some context we're missing? Chase's reaction seems a bit much if it was just an insult."
The Autobots looked at each other. "I don't know if we should tell you," Heatwave said slowly. "It's not really our place to say."
"Oh- now you care about Chase's feelings."
"Blades," Charlie stared down the helicopter, "you're not helping. And since this is something that's obviously effecting the entire team, I think we should know about it."
"It's just," Heatwave rubbed at his helmet, "it's really personal. Chase doesn't like talking about it for good reason-"
Boulder cut in, "He says we can tell them. They should know since they're our partners."
"Wait- you commed him?"
"Sure. I'm not the one who upset him."
Dani's eyebrow arched, "Wow. That must've been pretty bad if even Boulder is getting shots in."
The firetruck heaved a sigh, "Yes, alright? I fornicated the dog or whatever."
Charlie gave his eldest a look. "What?" Kade had his hands up defensively, "I'm not the only one on the island that uses euphemisms! It's not even a bad one, either."
"Alright, well, if we're going to talk about this you have to know a bit about Cybertronian physiology," Blades stood tall and important, gesturing for the humans to get comfortable. "This is going to be a crash course, though, so keep all questions for another time.
"Sparks are the essence of a Cybertronian- it's our personalities and ambitions and the very core of who we are. So if my spark got transplanted into another body, it'll still be me and still act like me, even if the brain module belonged to someone else. The brain module will influence me- it might change the way I prioritize reactions, access data or even adapt to situations, but it'll still be me. Like if someone had their brain transplanted into another body- still them, but the limitations of the body influences how they act."
"Okay, I think we're following you so far," Charlie spoke on behalf of his family. Graham was visibly clenching his jaw to keep from asking questions.
"Neural engineering is extremely tricky, unlike biological beings, our neural pathways aren't genetically constructed, they have to be manually created. That takes a lot of time and skill, so our best scientists got together to create templates to work off of, though everyone is tailored based on their purpose or circumstances of their creation."
"It's why a lot of 'bots tend to have similar personality traits across shared frames," Boulder added. "Well, if you knew more of us anyway. It's why jets tend to be insular, or those built for speed being impulsive and medics tend to be worriers. The way the traits manifest differs based on spark-personality, but if you know what a 'bot is built for, you generally have a good idea about what they'll prioritize."
"Of course the scientists like experimenting with different ways to code a brain module. All in the name of progress and all," Blades looked like the phrase left a bad taste in his mouth. "Not all of the experiments ended badly, but there's one they keep retrying, even though the 'bots that come out of it tend to have more issues than the ones that don't. They keep trying to make military and law enforcement officers more efficient by making them 'more objective' aka dampening their ability to feel and express emotions."
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Kade would've jumped to his feet if he didn't have Cody in his lap. "Are you telling me some jerk-offs emotionally castrated Chase?"
"More like emotionally truncated," Boulder corrected. "Emotions come from the spark so they can't be blocked. They can, however, be given an extremely low priority so they're more difficult to be triggered or accessed."
Charlie's fingers were drumming rough and heavy against the arm of the sofa, "So these scientists were basically trying to turn 'bots like Chase emotionless because they thought emotions get in the way of enforcing rules? That having empathy for those they're trying to protect or serve with was making their officers inefficient?"
"Basically. A lot of those 'bots tend to develop problems like anxiety, obsessive behavior, unhealthy perfectionist tendencies. After a while, neural engineers go back to using standard templates."
"But sometimes one of those 'bots gets to a position of power," Blades jumped in, "like Prime's head tactician or chief of security and then it'll start all over again because none of the scientists care about what kind of mental turmoil they put on anyone, they just want their results."
"When we said you'd have to teach Chase what fun meant," Boulder's smile was bitter and twisted, "we weren't joking. It takes him a long time to understand certain abstract concepts. If he ever gets them at all."
"And it's not just their own awareness that they have to deal with. Cybertronians are like humans- we'll find just about any reason to discriminate against others and this is no different. They call 'bots like Chase 'sparkless', 'mindless', 'drones'," Blades shot Heatwave a dark look, "'automatons'."
The humans gave Heatwave looks of various degrees of hurt and anger. "You knew all this, didn't you?"
"Of course he knew! Him and Chase were partners long before me or Boulder joined up. Haven't you picked up on how protective he gets over Chase? He can be as bad as Kade with Cody sometimes- Heatwave probably got into a fight at least once a month because someone slurred Chase during training."
"And you said that to him?" Kade looked disgusted. "You screwed up so bad they'll have to invent new ways to measure it."
Heatwave bristled, "I don't wanna hear that from you."
Nudging Cody from his lap, Kade planted his feet and squared his shoulders, staring down his much larger partner. "Okay, look- I enjoy being a jerk but I make sure the people I care about know how to tell me when I need to tone it down. And I know there are some things that you never, ever say, even in anger. And that was definitely one of them."
"I know that! That's why I need to go find him!"
"You need to let Chase calm down on his own," Charlie ordered. "Apologies aren't about what you want. When he's ready to hear it, he'll be back, but if you try to force it beforehand you'll just make it worse."
Heatwave snarled in frustration, pacing the length of the bunker in long, angry strides as his engine growled. "Dad," Cody asked, "do you think Chase will be okay? I mean, he was pretty upset."
"I trust Chase to keep a level head, even when he's upset. And if anything happened, I know he's responsible enough to contact us."
"I am grateful for your faith, Chief Burns. And your concern is appreciated, Cody, though no longer necessary."
Everyone scrambled to their feet, swarming Chase as he stepped out of the underground tunnel back into the bunker. "You're back! Are you okay? Are you still upset? Is there anything we can do?"
He held up a hand, causing the crowd to fall silent. "Please. Thank you for your empathy. I am sorry if my actions caused you undue worry."
"It's not like that was your fault."
As one, everyone turned to Heatwave. He shifted his weight, looking shockingly small. "Yeah, uh... can we... talk somewhere else?"
"Negative." The finality of the word seemed to make Heatwave stall and Chase went on, "If you wish to apologize, I think it would be best for everyone to hear it. They are aware of the severity of my issue and it apparently has effected the entire team. Therefore they should also witness and be satisfied with the resolution in order to keep the team working in a seamless and efficient manner."
Heatwave sighed, head bowed and fists balled at his sides. When he looked up, his optics were weary and contrite. "I'm sorry, Chase. What I said- I know better than that, and even if I didn't mean to say it, that doesn't make it okay. I just... I hate that we have to act like this. I especially hate watching you act like that because I remember what you had to put up with- I remember what I made you put up with! You're not a machine and every time someone acts like you are, talks about you like you can't hear them, leans on you like you're some prop, it makes my energon boil. You're so much better than that, but none of them care enough to give you a chance. Just like I almost didn't." He looked away again, jaw clenched in shame. "It doesn't excuse what I said and I'm sorry."
"I forgive you."
Heatwave jerked back in shock. "What? You can't just forgive me!"
"Is it not my prerogative to forgive how and when at my discretion?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Then I forgive you. In our long partnership, you have been a good friend to me."
"That doesn't make it alright for me to say those kind of things to you!"
Chase held up a hand, quieting the red 'bot. "No. It does not. However, after extensive thinking, I have come to the conclusion that I have not been as proactive as I should be. It is very easy for me to follow orders. Between yourself and Chief Burns, I rarely feel it necessary to assert myself and I realize that makes me... complacent. If I wish to improve- as a rescuer and an Autobot and for my own self -I need to force myself out of my comfort zone." A smile, slight but there, curved at Chase's mouth. "And you have always been good at dragging me out of my comfort zone."
"I," air huffed out of Heatwave's vents, relief temporarily putting him off balance. "I'd be honored to help you out. Always am."
Chase held out a hand. "Partners?"
Heatwave took it with a wide grin, "Always."
"I believe I owe you an apology as well, Chase."
He look down in surprise. "Chief Burns? Whatever do you mean?"
The man stood with his hands on his hips, a crease of regret between his brows. "I hadn't realized what you'd gone through and the way I've acted- cover or not -may have upset you. Both of you," he nodded at Heatwave. "I promise, rather than giving you orders, to make requests and no more calling you 'robot' or 'police bot'."
"I... that is incredibly kind of you, Chief. I would greatly appreciate it, thank you."
Dani put her hand to Chase's leg, "Same here."
"Me, too."
"Yeah!"
"And if we mess up and say something that upsets you, let us know."
"Thank you, Dani, Graham, Cody, Kade. I truly am fortunate to have your understanding and cooperation."
"Eeeeee- okay, I need to hug someone right now!" Obligingly Chase held out an arm and Blades hugged his side. "I'm so glad this all worked out!" He looked at Heatwave, "And I am no longer mad at you."
"Same." Said Boulder, hand on Chase's back. "To both parts."
"But you know, it's so strange," Graham shook his head, "I never thought Cybertron could be a bad place. A planet filled with such advanced technology and to have 'bots like you guys and Optimus and Bumblebee, the possibility that it had these deep seeded problems never even entered my head."
"It's not like humans invented jerks," Blades told him with a bit of a tease.
"Why do you think we're fighting a war?" Heatwave crossed his arms over his windshield. "It wasn't because we got bored."
"You said the Decepticons started it, didn't you? Did they have a legitimate reason?" Dani asked.
The Autobots exchanged glances and Heatwave told her, "That depends on your point of view. I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that we had a lot of problems that needed to be worked out. But the answer wasn't how Megatron did it."
"Cybertron's history has always had... troubling parts, even during the Golden Age," admitted Chase. "I would hate for that to shadow your view of our planet and us."
"Gotta take the good with the bad," Charlie said. "That's what you did for us, right? If learning about your history helps us get closer to you and helps us treat you better, then all the more reason to do it."
Boulder beamed down at the humans, knowing he spoke for the Rescue Bots when he said, "We'll be happy to answer whatever questions you have!"
